Two new genera and thirty new species of Microveliinae (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the East Papua composite terrane, far Eastern new Guinea

Abstract

Two new genera and 30 new species of Microveliinae are described from the East Papua Composite Terrane of far eastern New Guinea. This geologically defined region, including the Papuan Peninsula and the D'Entrecasteaux, Louisiade, and Marshall Bennett island groups, is hypothesized by geologists to have formed as a discrete microcontinent in the early Tertiary before being sutured to greater New Guinea in the Miocene, and retains a highly endemic aquatic Heteroptera biota. The new taxa described from this area are as follows: Rheovelia gen. n. containing type species R. petrophila sp. n. from extreme southeastern New Guinea, R. robinae sp. n. from the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, R. insularis sp. n. from Tagula and Rossel islands, R. anomala sp. n. from Misima Island, R. truncata sp. n. from the Owen Stanley Range of southeastern New Guinea, R. asymmetrica sp. n. from the Owen Stanley Range of southeastern New Guinea, R. basilaki sp. n. from Basilaki Island, and R. fonticola sp. n. from the Cape Nelson Peninsula of southeastern New Guinea; Brechivelia gen. n. containing type species B. tufi sp. n. from the Cape Nelson Peninsula of southeastern New Guinea; Tanyvelia minima sp. n. from extreme southeastern New Guinea; T. tagulana sp. n. from Tagula Island; T. papuana sp. n. from the Owen Stanley Range of southeastern New Guinea; Aegilipsicola peninsularis sp. n. from extreme southeastern New Guinea; A. auga sp. n. from the Owen Stanley Range of southeastern New Guinea; Tarsovelia louisiadensis sp. n. from Misima and Tagula islands; Neusterensifer sagarai sp. n. from extreme southeastern New Guinea; N. femoralis sp. n. from extreme southeastern New Guinea plus Normanby, Sariba and Basilaki islands; N. hunteri sp. n. from southeastern New Guinea plus Normanby, Sariba, Sideia, and Basilaki Islands; N. kula sp. n. from Goodenough and Fergusson islands; N. dentrecasteaux sp. n. from Goodenough and Fergusson islands plus the Cape Nelson Peninsula of southeastern New Guinea; N. louisiadae sp. n. from Tagula and Rossel islands; N. yela sp. n. from Rossel Island; N. sulcata sp. n. from Tagula Island; N. misima sp. n. from Misima Island; N. muyuw sp. n. from Woodlark Island; N. aviavi sp. n. from the Lakekamu Basin of southeastern New Guinea; N. microrivula sp. n. from the Lakekamu Basin of southeastern New Guinea; N. bowutu sp. n. from the Bowutu Mountains of southeastern New Guinea; N. goilala sp. n. from the Owen Stanley Range of southeastern New Guinea; and N. tufisp. n. from the Cape Nelson Peninsula of southeastern New Guinea. Shaded dorsal habitus figures are provided for Rheovelia petrophila and Neusterensifer femoralis, and illustrations of diagnostic morphological characters are given for all new genera and species, accompanied by distribution maps. New distribution records are also provided for Tarsovelia alta J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus, and Neusterensifer lubu D. Polhemus & J. Polhemus. A revised key in provided for all genera of New Guinea Microveliinae, and new or revised keys to all species are provided for Rheovelia, Tanyvelia, Aegilipsicola and Tarsovelia; a regional key is also provided for the 16 species of Neusterensifer occurring in the Papuan Peninsula and adjacent island groups.