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Ranatra

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Ranatra
Ranatra chinensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Nepidae
Subfamily: Ranatrinae
Genus: Ranatra
Fabricius, 1790

Ranatra is a genus of slender predatory insects of the family Nepidae, known as water scorpions or water stick-insects.[1] There are more than 140 Ranatra species found in freshwater habitats around the world, both in warm and temperate regions, with the highest diversity in South America (almost 50 species) and Asia (about 30 species, reviewed in 1972[2]). Fewer are found elsewhere, but include several African, some in North America, three from Australia and three from the Palearctic, notably the relatively well-known European R. linearis.[3] Since Ranatra belongs to the family Nepidae which in turn belongs to the order Hemiptera, ranatrids are considered "true bugs".

These brown insects are primarily found in stagnant or slow-moving water like ponds, marshes and canals, but can also be seen in streams.[3] Exceptionally they have been recorded from hypersaline lakes and brackish lagoons.[4]

Biology

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The front legs of bugs in Ranatra are strong and used to grasp prey. They typically eat other insects, tadpoles and small fish, which they pierce with their proboscis and inject a saliva which both sedates and begins to digest their prey. They are sit-and-wait predators that reside among water plants and position themselves head-down with their grasping legs extended out to surprise passing prey.[3] At least one species will also swim in open water at night to catch zooplanktonic organisms.[5] Like other members in the family they have a long tail-like siphon, or breathing tube, on the rear end of their body.[5] The adult body length is generally 2–6 cm (0.8–2.4 in) depending on the exact species, and females average larger than males of the same species. The siphon is typically almost the same size, but varies from less than half the body length to somewhat longer. Two of the largest species are the East Asian R. chinensis and South American R. magna.[3][6] Ranatra do have wings and they can fly.[4]

The adults are active year-round, except in extreme cold. Their eggs are positioned on plants just below the water surface, but in some species they can be placed in mud.[3] The eggs typically take two to four weeks to hatch and the young take about two months to mature.[citation needed]

  • Ranatra linearis
    Ranatra linearis
  • Ranatra chinensis
    Ranatra chinensis
  • Ranatra crawling on human fingers
    Ranatra crawling on human fingers

Among the four genera in the Ranatrinae subfamily, Austronepa and Goondnomdanepa are restricted to Australia. Cercotmetus from Asia to New Guinea resembles Ranatra, although the former has a distinctly shorter siphon.[3]

Species

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The Global Biodiversity Information Facility lists:[7]

  1. Ranatra absona Drake & De Carlo, 1953
  2. Ranatra acapulcana Drake & De Carlo, 1953
  3. Ranatra adelmorpha Nieser, 1975
  4. Ranatra aethiopica Montandon, 1903
  5. Ranatra akoitachta Nieser, 1996
  6. Ranatra ameghinoi De Carlo, 1970
  7. Ranatra annulipes Stål, 1854
  8. Ranatra attenuata Kuitert, 1949
  9. Ranatra australis Hungerford, 1922 i c g b (southern water scorpion)
  10. Ranatra bachmanni De Carlo, 1954
  11. Ranatra bilobata Tran & Nguyen, 2016
  12. Ranatra biroi Lundblad, 1933
  13. Ranatra bottegoi Montandon, 1903
  14. Ranatra brasiliensis De Carlo, 1946
  15. Ranatra brevicauda Montandon, 1905
  16. Ranatra brevicollis Montandon, 1910 i c g b
  17. Ranatra buenoi Hungerford, 1922 i c g b
  18. Ranatra camposi Montandon, 1907
  19. Ranatra capensis Germar, 1837
  20. Ranatra cardamomensis Zettel, Phauk, Kheam & Freitag, 2017
  21. Ranatra chagasi De Carlo, 1946
  22. Ranatra chariensis Poisson, 1949
  23. Ranatra chinensis Mayr, 1865
  24. Ranatra cinnamomea Distant, 1904
  25. Ranatra compressicollis Montandon, 1898
  26. Ranatra costalimai De Carlo, 1954
  27. Ranatra cruzi De Carlo, 1950
  28. Ranatra curtafemorata Kuitert, 1949
  29. Ranatra denticulipes Montandon, 1907
  30. Ranatra digitata Hafiz & Pradhan, 1949
  31. Ranatra diminuta Montandon, 1907
  32. Ranatra dispar Montandon, 1903
  33. Ranatra distanti Montandon, 1910
  34. Ranatra doesburgi De Carlo, 1963
  35. Ranatra dolichodentata Kuitert, 1949
  36. Ranatra dormientis Zhang et al., 1994
  37. Ranatra drakei Hungerford, 1922
  38. Ranatra ecuadoriensis De Carlo, 1950
  39. Ranatra elongata Fabricius, 1790
  40. Ranatra emaciata Montandon, 1907
  41. Ranatra fabricii Guérin-Méneville, 1857
  42. Ranatra falloui Montandon, 1907
  43. Ranatra feana Montandon, 1903
  44. Ranatra fianarantsoana Poisson, 1963
  45. Ranatra filiformis Fabricius, 1790
  46. Ranatra flagellata Lansbury, 1972
  47. Ranatra flokata Nieser & Burmeister, 1998
  48. Ranatra fusca Palisot, 1820 i c g b (brown waterscorpion)
  49. Ranatra fuscoannulata Distant, 1904
  50. Ranatra galantae Nieser, 1969
  51. Ranatra gracilis Dallas, 1850
  52. Ranatra grandicollis Montandon, 1907
  53. Ranatra grandocula Bergroth, 1893
  54. Ranatra hechti De Carlo, 1967
  55. Ranatra heoki Tran & Poggi, 2019
  56. Ranatra heydeni Montandon, 1909
  57. Ranatra horvathi Montandon, 1910
  58. Ranatra hungerfordi Kuitert, 1949
  59. Ranatra incisa Chen, Nieser & Ho, 2004
  60. Ranatra instaurata Montandon, 1914
  61. Ranatra insulata Barber, 1939
  62. Ranatra jamaicana Drake & De Carlo, 1953
  63. Ranatra katsara Nieser, 1997
  64. Ranatra kirkaldyi Torre-bueno, 1905 i c g b
  65. Ranatra lanei De Carlo, 1946
  66. Ranatra lansburyi Chen, Nieser & Ho, 2004
  67. Ranatra lenti De Carlo, 1950
  68. Ranatra lethierryi Montandon, 1907
  69. Ranatra libera Zettel, 1999
  70. Ranatra linearis (Linnaeus, 1758) i c g
  71. Ranatra longipes Stål, 1861
  72. Ranatra lualalai Poisson, 1964
  73. Ranatra lubwae Poisson, 1965
  74. Ranatra machrisi Nieser & Burmeister, 1998
  75. Ranatra macrophthalma Herrich-Schäffer, 1849
  76. Ranatra maculosa Kuitert, 1949
  77. Ranatra magna Kuitert, 1949
  78. Ranatra malayana Lundblad, 1933
  79. Ranatra mediana Montandon, 1910
  80. Ranatra megalops Lansbury, 1972
  81. Ranatra mixta Montandon, 1907
  82. Ranatra moderata Kuitert, 1949
  83. Ranatra montei De Carlo, 1946
  84. Ranatra montezuma Polhemus, 1976
  85. Ranatra natalensis Distant, 1904
  86. Ranatra natunaensis Lansbury, 1972
  87. Ranatra neivai De Carlo, 1946
  88. Ranatra nieseri Tran & Nguyen, 2016
  89. Ranatra nigra Herrich-Schaeffer, 1849
  90. Ranatra nodiceps Gerstaecker, 1873
  91. Ranatra nodioeps Gerstaecker, 1873
  92. Ranatra obscura Montandon, 1907
  93. Ranatra occidentalis Lansbury, 1972
  94. Ranatra odontomeros Nieser, 1996
  95. Ranatra oliveiracesari De Carlo, 1946
  96. Ranatra operculata Kuitert, 1949
  97. Ranatra ornitheia Nieser, 1975
  98. Ranatra parmata Mayr, 1865
  99. Ranatra parvipes Signoret, 1861
  100. Ranatra parvula Kuitert, 1949
  101. Ranatra pittieri Montandon, 1910
  102. Ranatra protense Montandon
  103. Ranatra quadridentata Stål, 1862 i c g b
  104. Ranatra rabida Buchanan White, 1879
  105. Ranatra rafflesi Tran & D.Polhemus, 2012
  106. Ranatra rapax Stål, 1865
  107. Ranatra recta Chen, Nieser & Ho, 2004
  108. Ranatra robusta Montandon, 1905
  109. Ranatra sagrai Drake & De Carlo, 1953
  110. Ranatra sarmientoi De Carlo, 1967
  111. Ranatra sattleri De Carlo, 1967
  112. Ranatra schuhi D.Polhemus & J.Polhemus, 2012
  113. Ranatra segrega Montandon, 1913
  114. Ranatra signoreti Montandon, 1905
  115. Ranatra similis Drake & De Carlo, 1953
  116. Ranatra siolii De Carlo, 1970
  117. Ranatra sjostedti Montandon, 1911
  118. Ranatra spatulata Kuitert, 1949
  119. Ranatra spinifrons Montandon, 1905
  120. Ranatra spoliata Montandon, 1912
  121. Ranatra stali Montandon, 1905
  122. Ranatra sterea Chen, Nieser & Ho, 2004
  123. Ranatra subinermis Montandon, 1907
  124. Ranatra sulawesii Nieser & Chen, 1991
  125. Ranatra surinamensis De Carlo, 1963
  126. Ranatra texana Hungerford, 1930
  127. Ranatra thai Lansbury, 1972
  128. Ranatra titilaensis Hafiz & Pradhan, 1949
  129. Ranatra travassosi De Carlo, 1950
  130. Ranatra tridentata Poisson, 1965
  131. Ranatra tuberculifrons Montandon, 1907
  132. Ranatra unicolor Scott, 1874
  133. Ranatra unidentata Stål, 1861
  134. Ranatra usingeri De Carlo, 1970
  135. Ranatra varicolor Distant, 1904
  136. Ranatra varipes Stål, 1861
  137. Ranatra vitshumbii Poisson, 1949
  138. Ranatra wagneri Hungerford, 1929
  139. Ranatra weberi De Carlo, 1970
  140. Ranatra williamsi Kuitert, 1949
  141. Ranatra zeteki Drake & De Carlo, 1953

Data sources: i = ITIS,[8] c = Catalogue of Life,[9] g = GBIF,[7] b = Bugguide.net[10]

References

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  1. ^ www.itis.gov/
  2. ^ Lansbury I (1972) A review of the Oriental species of Ranatra Fabricius (Hemiptera-Heteroptera: Nepidae). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London, vol. 124, no. 3. 287-341.
  3. ^ a b c d e f P. Chen; N. Nieser; J.Z. Ho (2004). "Review of Chinese Ranatrinae (Hemiptera: Nepidae), with descriptions of four new species of Ranatra Fabricius". Tijdschrift voor Entomologie. 147 (1): 81–102. doi:10.1163/22119434-900000142.
  4. ^ a b Ye.V. Anufriyeva; N.V. Shadrin (2016). "First Record of Ranatra linearis (Hemiptera, Nepidae) in Hypersaline Water Bodies of the Crimea". Hydrobiological Journal. 52 (2): 56–61.
  5. ^ a b Dean W. Blinn; Chris Pinney; Milton W. Sanderson (1982). "Nocturnal Planktonic Behavior of Ranatra montezuma Polhemus (Nepidae: Hemiptera) in Montezuma Well, Arizona". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 55 (3): 481–484.
  6. ^ Heckman, C.W. (2011). Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Hemiptera - Heteroptera. Springer. ISBN 978-94-007-0704-7.
  7. ^ a b Global Biodiversity Information Facility: Ranatra Fabricius, 1790 (retrieved 12 January 2021)
  8. ^ "Ranatra Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  9. ^ "Browse Ranatra". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  10. ^ "Ranatra Genus Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
[edit]
  • Data related to Ranatra at Wikispecies
  • Media related to Ranatra at Wikimedia Commons
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