Lethocerus patruelis ( Stål, 1854 ),

Novoselsky, Tanya, Chen, Ping-Ping & Nieser, Nico, 2018, A review of the giant water bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Belostomatidae) of Israel, Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 48 (1), pp. 119-141 : 132-133

Lethocerus patruelis ( Stål, 1854)

( Figs 3, 4, 23, 29, 36, 37, 40, 41, 45–47, 53)

Belostoma patruele Stål, 1854: 241 .

Belostoma niloticum Mayr, 1868: 185 (nec Stål).

Belostoma niloticum var. persicum Montandon, 1898: 431 .

Lethocerus persicus Menke, 1963: 258 .

Lethocerus patruelis : Kanyukova & Kerzhner 1980: 598; Perez Goodwyn 2006: 61.

Material examined: Israel: ' Arava Valley: 1♀ Ne'ot HaKikkar , 23.vi.1952 J. Wahrman. Central Coastal Plain: 1♂ 1♀ Tel Aviv, xii.1941 , Y. Palmoni (1♀), iii.1959, P. Berkovitch (1♂). Central Negev: 1♀ Mizpe Ramon , 18.x.1977 , D. Simon. Golan Heights : 1♀ Yarmouk River , 10.viii.1953 , Y. Palmoni. Hula and Korazim Block: 7♂ HaHula Nature Reserve , 5.iv.1943, R . Ortal (1♂), 3.iii.1957, Z. Shoham (1♂), 27.vii.1954 (1♂), 1960, D. Rawe (4♂). Jordan Valley : 2♂ Deganya A, 31.v.1957 , Y. Palmoni; Massada , 18.ix.1952 , Y. Palmoni. Karmel (Carmel) Ridge: 1♂ Haifa, Akhusa , 20.ix.1955 , J. Wahrman; 1♂ Haifa, 10.v.19[??], H. Bytinski­Salz. Northern Coastal Plain: 1♂ 1♀ Beit Yanai , 1.ii.1976 (1♀) , 26.xii.1986 (1♂) , W. Ferguson; 1♂ HaBonim , vi.1977 , B. Feldman; 1♂ Herzliyya , 23.iv.1976 , S. Lev­Yadun; 3♀ Ma'agan Mikha'el [32°33'N 34°55'E], iv.1956, 13.ii.1988 , Dov A. Ben, 20.i.1984, A. Valdenberg; 1♀ Ma'ayan Tzvi, 1957, S. Angres; 1♀ Nahal Taninim , 16.vii.1975 , D. Berkovitch. Sea of Galilee area: 4♂ Moshava Kinneret , 20.v.1943 , Y. Palmoni. Southern Coastal Plain: 2♀ Bet Dagan , iv.1963 , H. Mendelson; 1♂ Gan Yavne , x.1956 ; 1♂ 2♀ Palmahim , 31.v.2014 , D. Nagar (1♂ 1♀), iv.1984, H.K. Mienis (1♀); 2♂ Ramat Gan , 19.v.1936 ; 1♂ Rehovot , 19.viii.1936 , Hecht. Upper Galilee: 1♂ Tel Dan Nature Reserve , 5.xi.1952 . Jezreel Valley: 1♂ Mizra' , 17.vi.1961 .

Distribution: Hungary, Romania, Italy, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, Israel ( Fig. 54), Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arabian Emirates, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Burma ( Zimmermann 1982; Linnavuori 1986; Polhemus 1995 a; Perez Goodwyn 2006; Cianferoni & Nardi 2013).

Previous records from Israel: Bodenheimer (1937: 209) recorded this species from “Palestine” as Belostoma niloticum , and Linnavuori (1960: 51) as B. cordofanum .

Phenology in Israel: Adults were collected throughout the year.

Biology: Eggs are laid on emergent vegetation ( Lauck & Menke 1961).

Comments: The species is extremely similar to L. cordofanus . Besides the male genitalia, the paler overall colour with lighter and fewer dark patches as well as stripes of the pronotum, which are wider than those of L. cordofanus , are useful characters to separate the two species.