Water Bug Updates

(last update 2 June 2026)

Belostomatidae

The subgenus Benacus of Lethocerus has been reinstated as a full genus.  See: Perez Goodwyn, P.J. 2006. Taxonomic revision of the subfamily Lethocerinae Lauck & Menke (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae). Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk. 695: 1-71.  Thus, our largest belostomatid is now called Benacus griseus (Say).
11-vi-2006

Corixidae

Thanks to Donald Ray and Rick Abad, we have two new Florida corixid records:

Hesperocorixa obliqua (Hungerford) (Escambia Co., Pine Barren Creek)

This species was not covered in my 2006 manual. It will key to couplet 8 (p. 3.12); it can be separated by the more apically produced male pala and the different genitalia (see below)


Hesperocorixa obliqua
      pala             Hesperocorixa obliqua male genitalia    
                         H. obliqua male pala                                                             H. obliqua  male genitalia


Sigara mississippiensis Hungerford (Escambia Co., Pine Barren Creek)

27-xi-2009


Trichocorixa macroceps (Kirkaldy) has been collected in the Florida Panhandle (Manning Creek, Santa Rosa Co.).
3-vi-2006

Gerridae

Limnogonus recens has been reported from FL; see Pintar, M. 2026. The genus Limnogonus Stål (Hemiptera: Gerridae) in North America, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5814:151-187. Matt has included a key for the three Limnogonus species found in North America.
2-vi-2026