remigis group

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Range · Remarks · Works Cited

wingless water strider - Aquarius remigis

Water Strider IMG_0222 - Aquarius remigis

Large Water Strider on McDowell Creek - Aquarius

Male, Aquarius remigis? - Aquarius remigis - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)

Infraorder Gerromorpha (Semiaquatic Bugs)

Superfamily Gerroidea

Family Gerridae (Water Striders)

Subfamily Gerrinae

Genus Aquarius

No Taxon remigis group

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Taxonomy needs further study

Range

Much of North America (Canada to Honduras); rare to absent from the southeastern coastal plain and Arctic/boreal regions

Remarks

As of 2020, genetic and morphological studies place the A. remigis group either within or sister to the Gerris clade, not with the rest of Aquarius species(1)(2)(3). The A. remigis group likely represents an unnamed genus that is sister to a monotypic genus containing A. chilensis(4)

The group consists of three valid species, with a fourth currently treated as a synonym of A. remigis. Only A. remigoides was described to meet modern taxonomic standards(5)(Damgaard and Christiansen 2007). With the possible exception of A. amplus, species within the group cannot be separated using external characteristics.

A. amplus: southern AZ & Mexico; connexival spines shorter than in A. remigis

A. nyctalis: treated as a synonym of A. remigis based on genital morphology; described as a high altitude lake dweller of the Rockies and other mountainous areas of western North America

A. remigis: reported from all the contiguous US states, much of Canada, and Mexico; its distribution in the Southeast US and Appalachians to PA needs further assessment

A. remigoides: reported from central PA to GA along the Appalachians; described based on morphology supported by genetic & behavioral analyses(5)(6)

Works Cited

1.	Phylogeny and reclassification of species groups in Aquarius Schellenberg, Limnoporus Stål and Gerris Fabricius... Damgaard J., Cognato A.I. 2006. Syst. Entomol. 31: 93-112.

2.	Genital morphology and taxonomy of the water strider Aquarius remigis (Say) (Insecta, Hemiptera-Heteroptera: Gerridae) Damgaard J., Christiansen P. 2007. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 90: 381-398.

3.	Biogeography and diversification of Holarctic water stridres: Cenozoic temperature variation, habitat shifting... Ye Z., Damgaard J., Chen P., Zhu L., Zheng C., Bu W. 2017. Syst. Entomol. 43: 19-30.

4.	Molecular phylogeny of the pond skaters (Gerrinae), discussion of the fossil record and a checklist of species... Damgaard J., Moreira F.F.F., Weir T.A., Zettel H. 2014. Insect Systematics & Evolution 45: 251-281.

5.	A new species of Aquarius from the southeastern United States, with electrophoretic analysis of the clade containing Gerris... Gallant S.L., Fairbairn D.J. 1996. Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 89: 637-644.

6.	Patterns of postmating reproductive isolation in a newly discovered species pair, Aquarius remigis and A. remigoides... Gallant S.L., Fairbairn D.J. 1997. Heredity 78: 571-577.

Contributed by Matthew Pintar on 20 December, 2021 - 9:34am
Additional contributions by v belov
Last updated 25 November, 2023 - 4:54pm

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