Belostoma bifoveolatum (Spinola, 1852)

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 48 (1), pp. 119-141 : 128

Belostoma bifoveolatum (Spinola, 1852)

( Figs 10, 11, 15, 19, 25, 28, 50)

Belostoma bifoveolatum Spinola, 1852: 227 ; Lauck 1964: 130.

Zaitha bifoveolata : Dufour 1863: 389.

Material examined: Israel: Hula and Korazim Block : 4♂ 1♀ HaHula Nature Reserve [33°04'N 35°36'E], 3.v.2005, A. Gazit. Note: Three specimens were reared in the laboratory by Mr.A. Shlagman from material originating from the Hula area .

Distribution: Argentina, Chile ( Nieser 1975; Faúndez & Carvajal 2017; Stefanello et al. 2018; Jara & Perotti 2018), Israel (new record, Fig. 50).

Phenology in Israel: Adults were collected in May.

Biology: Hydroperiodicity and temperature may regulate voltinism and development in B. bifoveolatum , thus defining the population structure of this giant water bug. In northern Patagonia, B. bifoveolatum populations may produce one or two generations per year ( Kight et al. 2011; Jara & Perotti 2018). As the season progresses, nymphs become more abundant, and adults disappear from water bodies, presumably because they die after reproduction or migrate to other habitats ( Jara & Perotti 2018). The warm season in Israel provides an excellent potential for their development. As the observed males were carrying eggs the species seemed to reproduce well.

Comments: Belostoma bifoveolatum belongs to the bifoveolatum group, which also incorporates B. angustum Lauck and B. elegans (Mayr) . These are cryptic species, being quite similar in terms of their body shape, dimensions and male genital morphology ( Stefanello et al. 2018). The species occur from the southern part of South America along the Andes up to Peru. Belostoma bifoveolatum is one of the very few Nepomorpha occurring both in Argentina and Chile ( Coscarón 2017; Stefanello et al. 2018). As Belostoma does not occur naturally outside the Americas its record in Israel clearly represents an introduction, albeit through a yet unknown route. This striking, medium sized species can quite easily adapt to different ecological conditions (Jarra & Perotti 2018). Therefore it is advisable to monitor its Israeli population and make an attempt to eradicate it, if it shows signs of becoming invasive.