Additional Records for Microvelia reticulata and Microvelia pygmae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae), which are Rarely Distributed in Türkiye

Journal of the Heteroptera of Turkey 302 J.Het.Turk., 7(2), Nov, 2025 (eISSN 2687-3249) Additional Records for Microvelia reticulata and Microvelia pygmae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae), which are Rarely Distributed in Türkiye ¹ Trakya University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 22030, Edirne Türkiye E  mail: [email protected] ORCID iD 0000  0001  5787  6714 ²Amasya University, School of Technical Sciences, Department of Health Information Systems & Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, 05100, Amasya/ Türkiye E  mail: ahmetdursun5[email protected] ORCID iD: 0000  0002  5114  7470 ¹ Trakya University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 22030, Edirne Türkiye E  mail: [email protected] ORCID iD 0000  0002  3961  1402. *Corresponding author e  mail: [email protected] Meral Fent1* Ahmet Dursun2 Kaan Yence1 To cite this article: Fent, M., Dursun, A., Yence, K., 2025, Additional Records for Microvelia reticulata and Microvelia pygmae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae), which are Rarely Distributed in Türkiye, J.Het.Turk., 7 (2): 302-307 DOI:10.5281/zenodo.17581479 To link to this article: https://www.j-ht.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/V72-A13.pdf Received: Oct 8, 2025; Revised: Nov 9, 2025; Accepted: Nov 11, 2025; Published online: Nov 30, 2025 Research Article ABSTRACT: As a result of studies carried out in different freshwater habitats such as streams, lakes, ponds, dams and swamps in the Thrace Region between 2018 and 2020, additional locality records were given for two species of the genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834 with a limited distribution in Türkiye, Microvelia reticulata (Burmeister, 1835) and Microvelia pygmae (Dufour, 1833). KEYWORDS: Rare species, Microvelia reticulata, Microvelia pygmae, locality records, Türkiye Journal of the Heteroptera of Turkey 303 J.Het.Turk., 7(2), Nov, 2025 (eISSN 2687-3249) INTRODUCTION The genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834 has 18 species belonging to 3 subgenera distributed in the Palearctic Region. Microvelia Westwood, 1834 has 6 species, Pacificovelia Andersen & Weir, 2003 has 2 species, that are known only from Japan, and Picaultia Distant, 1913 has 10 species (Aukema, 2018). Microvelia reticulata (Burmeister, 1835) belonging to the subgenus Microvelia and Microvelia hozari Hoberlandt, 1952 and Microvelia pygmaea (Dufour, 1833) belonging to the subgenus Picultia were recorded in Türkiye (Fent et al., 2011). While all of these species are known from Anatolia, M. reticulata and M. pygmaea are also known from the Thrace Region (Kment & Jindra, 2005; Fent et al., 2011; Banbal & Fent, 2016). In this study, for these species which are limited to a few locality records in Anatolia and Thrace, additional locality records from the Thrace Region are given and information on the distribution of the species in Türkiye and the Palearctic region are presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS The research was carried out in all kinds of natural and artificial wetlands such as lakes, ponds, dams, rivers, streams, irrigation canals and their surroundings in the Thrace Region between 2018  2020 (Table 1, Figure 1). The specimens were collected, from the water surface and the waterside with nets and plankton scoop. The obtained samples were taken into tubes containing 70% alcohol. Rabitsch (2005) was used to identify the species. Figure 1. The localities of Microvelia reticulata and Microvelia pygmae in Thrace Region (Google Earth) Journal of the Heteroptera of Turkey 304 J.Het.Turk., 7(2), Nov, 2025 (eISSN 2687-3249) Loc No Locality Altitude Coordinate Sampling Date 1 Kırklareli  Lalapaşa –Doğanköy (small pond) 349m 41°57'01N 26°42'04E 07.06.2018 2 Edirne  Enez (Ömürkent Sitesi  stream) 7m 40°39' 55N 26° 04'57E 14.06.2018 3 Kırklareli  between Düzorman  Koruköy (pond) 451m 41°44'427N 27°20'30E 06.08.2018 4 Kırklareli  Demirköy (near Mert lake irrigation canal) 6m 41°51'565N 27°57'27E 08.08.2018 5 Kırklareli  Demirköy  İğneada (Yenimahalle stream) 13m 41°52'638N 27°56'40E 10.08.2018 6 Edirne  Oğulpaşa (stream) 84m 41°36’346N 26°25’12E 25.05.2019 7 İstanbul  Büyükçekmece lake 2m 41°7’259N 28°31’757E 29.06.2019 8 İstanbul  Silivri  Küçüksinekli (lake) 215m 41°13’665N 28o9’928E 04.07.2019 9 İstanbul  Silivri  Küçüksinekli (swamp) 217m 41°13’787N 28o10’596E 04.07.2019 10 Kırklareli  İnece stream 93m 41°41.267'N 27°4’785'E 07.07.2019 11 Kırklareli  Ürünlü stream 115m 41°40.430'N 26°59’478'E 07.08.2019 12 Kırklareli  Kurudere (stream) 330m 41°43.079'N 27°33’257'E 07.08.2019 13 Edirne  Yeniköy (Dobralı stream) 57m 41°21’073N 26°44’786E 08.06.2020 14 Edirne  Uzunköprü  Kurtbey (stream) 35m 41°7’410N 26°33’742E 09.06.2020 15 Edirne  İpsala  İbriktepe (Sultanköy dam) 46m 41°1’809N 26°29’188E 09.06.2020 16 Edirne  Enez  Abdurrahim (stream) 24m 40°38’526N 26°15’715E 10.06.2020 17 Edirne  Uzunköprü  Çöpköy (stream) 75m 41°11’798N 26°50’811E 10.08.2020 18 Tekirdağ  Malkara  Doğanköy (stream) 194m 41°4’946N 26°50’985E 10.08.2020 19 Tekirdağ  Hayrabolu  Küçükkarakarlı village (Ana stream) 33m 41°19’809N 27°10’612E 11.08.2020 20 Tekirdağ  Muratlı  Yurtbekler village (Uzungöz stream) 84m 41°11’626N 27°18’174E 11.08.2020 21 Kırklareli  Lüleburgaz  Celaliye (Bağlar stream) 144m 41°34’115'N 27°21’009E 13.08.2020 22 Edirne  Kayapa village (stream) 110m 41°46’618N 26°40’924E 14.08.2020 23 Edirne  Lalapaşa bridge (stream) 132m 41°49’559N 26°43’415E 14.08.2020 24 Edirne  Lalapaşa  Süleymandanişment (pond) 340m 41°53’836N 26°54’464E 14.08.2020 25 Tekirdağ  Şarköy  Yayaköy (puddle) 318m 40°42’390N 27°11’763E 17.08.2020 26 Kırklareli  Vize  Balkaya village road (pond) 206m 41°35’944N 27°55’671E 18.08.2020 27 Kırklareli  Vize  Kıyıköy road (stream) 77m 41°37’255N 27°59’249E 18.08.2020 28 Kırklareli  Dereköy  Geçitağzı (Burgazcık stream) 504m 41°56’018N 27°20’360E 19.08.2020 29 Kırklareli  Çağlayık (stream) 298m 42°2’617N 27°19’731E 19.08.2020 Table 1. Studied localities in Thrace Region, altitudes, coordinates and sampling dates RESULTS Genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834 Subgenus Microvelia Westwood, 1834 Journal of the Heteroptera of Turkey 305 J.Het.Turk., 7(2), Nov, 2025 (eISSN 2687-3249) Microvelia (Microvelia) reticulata (Burmeister, 1835) Material examined. Materyal: Edirne: Enez  Ömürkent Sitesi (stream), 14.06.2018, 1♂; Lalapaşa  Doğanköy (small pond), 07.06.2018, 1♂; Havsa  Oğulpaşa (stream), 25.05.2019, 1♂; İstanbul: Büyükçekmece Lake, 29.06.2019, 1♀; Silivri  Küçüksinekli (swamp), 04.07.2019, 1♀, 2♂♂; Küçüksinekli Lake, 04.07.2019, 1♂; Kırklareli: Center  İnece stream, 07.07.2019, 1♂; between Düzorman  Koruköy (pond), 06.08.2018, 1♀, 2♂♂; between Dereköy  Geçitağzı (Burgazcık stream), 19.08.2020, 1♂; Demirköy  İğneada (Yenimahalle stream), 10.08.2018 1♀; Vize  Balkaya village (pond), 18.08.2020, 12♀♀, 8♂♂; Tekirdağ: Hayrabolu  Küçükkarakarlı village (Ana stream), 11.08.2020, 1♂. Distribution in Türkiye: European Türkiye: Edirne (Banbal & Fent, 2016). Asian Türkiye: Konya, Sivas (Kment & Jindra, 2005). Distribution in Palearctic: Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Byelorussia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, European Kazakhstan, European Türkiye, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldavia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia (CT NT ST), Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine. Asia: Armenia, Asian Kazakhstan, Asian Türkiye, China (NE NO), Georgia, Japan, Korea, Russia (ES FE WS), Tadzhikistan (Banbal & Fent, 2016; Aukema, 2018). Subgenus Picaultia Distant, 1913 Microvelia (Picaultia) hozari Hoberlandt, 1952 Distribution in Türkiye: Asian Türkiye: Adana, Kilis, Mersin (Hoberlandt, 1952; Kment & Jindra, 2005; Önder et al., 2006). Distribution in Palearctic: Asia: Asian Türkiye, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen (Socotra) (Aukema, 2018). Microvelia (Picaultia) pygmaea (Dufour, 1833) Material examined. Edirne: Center  Kayapa village (stream), 14.08.2020, 3 ♂♂; Enez  Abdurrahim village (stream), 10.06.2020, 1♂; İpsala  İbriktepe (Sultanköy dam), 09.06.2020, 1 ♀; Lalapaşa  Doğanköy (small pond), 07.06.2018 1 ♂; Lalapaşa bridge (stream), 14.08.2020, 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; Süleymandanişment (pond), 14.08.2020, 1 ♀; Yeniköy (Dobralı stream), 08.06.2020, 1 ♀, 4 ♂♂; Uzunköprü  Kurtbey (stream), 09.06.2020, 7 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂; Çöpköy (stream), 10.08.2020, 29 ♀♀, 16 ♂♂; Kırklareli: Center  Çağlayık (stream), 19.08.2020, 1 ♀; Demirköy  Mert lake road (irrigation canal), 08.08.2018, 1 ♀; Ürünlü (stream), 07.08.2019, 1 ♀; Kurudere (stream), 07.08.2019, 5 ♀♀, 7 ♂♂; Lüleburgaz  Celaliye (Bağlar stream), 13.08.2020, 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; Vize  Kıyıköy road (stream), 18.08.2020, 8 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂; Tekirdağ: Malkara  Doğanköy (stream), 10.08.2020, 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; Muratlı  Yurtbekler village (Uzungöz stream), 11.08.2020, 2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; Şarköy  Yayaköy (puddle), 17.08.2020, 6 ♀♀; 17 ♂♂. Distribution in Türkiye: European Türkiye: Edirne (Önder et al., 1984, 2006). Asian Türkiye: Adapazarı, Bursa, Çanakkale, Kırşehir, Konya, Sivas (Önder et al., 1981, 2006; Andersen, 1995; Fent et al., 2011). Distribution in Palearctic: Europe: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Crete, Croatia, Czech, Republic, European Türkiye, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Malta, Macedonia, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine. North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Madeira, Morocco, Tunisia. Asia: Azerbaijan, Journal of the Heteroptera of Turkey 306 J.Het.Turk., 7(2), Nov, 2025 (eISSN 2687-3249) Asian Türkiye, China? Cyprus, Iran? Israel? Kirgizia, Lebanon, Syria, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan (Aukema, 2018). DISCUSSION Microvelia reticulata, which was identified in freshwater areas in the Thrace Region between 2018 and 2020, was also identified in Anatolia by Kment & Jindra (2005), in Konya-Beyşehir (Beyşehir Lake), in Sivas-Demiryurt (Tödürge Lake), and in Lalapaşa (Vaysal Pond) and Meriç (Nasuhbey Pond) in Edirne Province in the Thrace Region by Banbal & Fent (2016). In this study, along with Edirne, it was identified in various localities in the provinces of İstanbul, Kırklareli, and Tekirdağ, thus expanding the known distribution limits of the species. Although Microvelia pygmae was previously known from a few localities in Anatolia (Önder et al., 1981, 2006; Andersen, 1995; Fent et al., 2011), it has been identified only in the center of Edirne province, in the Thrace Region (Önder et al., 1984). In this study, it has been identified in the provinces of Kırklareli and Tekirdağ, along with many localities in Edirne province. These findings indicate that the species has a wider distribution than previously known. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was supported by Trakya University Scientific Research Projects Unit (TÜBAP Project no: 2018-124), we express our gratitude. REFERENCES Andersen, N.M., 1995, Infraorder Gerromorpha Popov, 1971—semiaquatic bugs, pp. 17–114. In: Aukema, B. & Rieger, C. (Eds.), Catalogue of the Heteroptera of the Palaearctic Region. Vol. 1. Enicocephalomorpha, Dipsocoromorpha, Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha and Leptopodomorpha. The Netherlands Entomological Society, Amsterdam, xxvi + 222 pp. Aukema, B., 2018, Catalogue of Palaearctic Heteroptera. Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Available from https://catpalhet. linnaeus.naturalis.nl/(Accessed on 01.11.2025) Banbal, T., Fent, M., 2016, New Records of Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) Fauna of Turkey. J. Entomol. Res. Soc., 18 (3): 121-128. Fent, M., Kment, P., Çamur  Elipek, B., Kırgız, T., 2011, Annotated catalogue of Enicocephalomorpha, Dipsocoromorpha, Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha and Leptopodomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Turkey with new records. Zootaxa, 2856: 1–84. Hoberlandt, L., 1952, Results of the zoological scientific expedition of the National Museum in Praha to Turkey. 2. Hemiptera  Heteroptera I. The aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera of Turkey. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 26 (352) (1948– 1950): 1–74 + pls. I–XVII. Kment, P., Jindra, Z., 2005, New and interesting records of true bugs (Heteroptera) from Turkey, southeastern Europe, Near and Middle East. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 45: 3–16. Önder, F., Ünal, A., Ünal, E., 1981, Heteroptera fauna collected by light traps in some districts of Northwestern part of Anatolia. Türkiye Bitki Koruma Dergisi, 5(3): 151-169. Önder, F., Ünal, A., Ünal, E., 1984, Heteropterous insects collected by light traps in Edirne. Journal of the Heteroptera of Turkey 307 J.Het.Turk., 7(2), Nov, 2025 (eISSN 2687-3249) Türkiye Bitki Koruma Dergisi, 8 (4): 215-224. Önder, F., Karsavuran, Y., Tezcan, S. & Fent, M., 2006, Türkiye Heteroptera (Insecta) kataloğu. (Heteroptera (Insecta) catalogue of Turkey). Ege Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi, İzmir, 164 pp. Rabitsch, W., 2005, Spezialpraktikum Aquatische und Semiaquatische Heteroptera Bestimmungsschlüssel der Gerromorpha Österreichs – Unveröffentlichtes Skriptum, 46 pp.