Ranatra libera Zettel, 1999

Deepa, Jaiswal & Banerjee, Somesh, 2023, A faunistic survey of the aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) of the Tiger Reserves in Telangana, India, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 9 (4), pp. 775-790 : 778

Ranatra libera Zettel, 1999 ( Figs 1A–1C)

Ranatra libera Zettel, 1999:427–430 , Holotype ♂. – Bago, Myanmar.

Material examined. 1♂, 20.xii.2021, Umamaheshwaram (16°22'21''N, 78°43'37.92''E); 1♂, 21.xii.2021, Nadimpally (16°24'25.2''N, 78°40'55.92''E); 1♀, 28.xii.2021, Udampur (19°11'51.72''N, 78°53'11.76''E), J. Deepa & party, leg.

Diagnosis. Body length of males 27.59–28.12 mm, female 29.08 mm. Respiratory siphon length 25.56– 26.34 mm. Head width 2.87–2.90 mm. Vertex higher than eyes. Space between the middle coxae narrower than hind coxae. Metasternum posterior margin convex. Parameres relatively broad, apical hook slender, strongly curved at the base. Gap between the hook and main body of the paramere very narrow. The apical part of hook narrow.

Distribution. India: Meghalaya ( Jehamalar & Chandra, 2020) and Telangana (New record). Elsewhere: Myanmar and Thailand ( Tran & Zettel, 2021) ( Fig. 1E).

Remarks. Ranatra libera belongs to the R. biroi species group described by Lansbury (1972). Prior to Tran & Nguyen (2016), it was only known from its type locality in Bago ( Myanmar). However, it now appears to also be present in Thailand. In a later study by Jehamalar and Chandra (2020), this species was recorded not only from Meghalaya but also from the Indian subcontinent for the first time ( Fig. 1E). The paramere structure and shape of R. libera is the important diagnostic feature which differs from the other species in this genus ( Fig. 1B). This species was collected both from lentic and lotic habitats in the study areas.