Ranatra

Ranatra sp.

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Paraneoptera
Superordo: Condylognatha
Ordo: Hemiptera
Subordo: Heteroptera
Infraordo: Nepomorpha
Superfamilia: Nepoidea

Familia: Nepidae
Subfamilia: Ranatrinae
Tribus: Ranatrini
Genus: Ranatra
Species (35): R. akoitachta – R. australis – R. brevicauda – R. brevicollis – R. buenoi – R. chinensis – R. compressicollis – R. damasi – R. dispar – R. fusca – R. hechti – R. incisa – R. katsara – R. kirkaldyi – R. lansburyi – R. libera – R. linearis – R. longipes – R. maculosa – R. montezuma – R. nigra – R. odontomeros – R. operculata – R. quadridentata – R. rafflesi – R. recta – R. robusta – R. schuhi – R. signoreti – R. stali – R. sterea – R. texana – R. thai – R. varipes – †R. dormientis
Name

Ranatra Fabricius 1790. Skr. nat. Selsk. [Copenhagen], 1, (1) 227 ; 1794, Ent. Syst., 4, 64.
References

Lansbury, I. 1972. A review of the Oriental species of Ranatra Fabricius (Hemiptera–Heteroptera: Nepidae). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 124(3): 287–341. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1972.tb00367.x Reference page.

Ranatra is a genus of slender predatory insects of the family Nepidae, known as water scorpions or water stick-insects.[1] There are around 100 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]

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

Their front legs 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.

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

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility lists:[7]

Ranatra absona Drake & De Carlo, 1953
Ranatra acapulcana Drake & De Carlo, 1953
Ranatra adelmorpha Nieser, 1975
Ranatra aethiopica Montandon, 1903
Ranatra akoitachta Nieser, 1996
Ranatra ameghinoi De Carlo, 1970
Ranatra annulipes Stål, 1854
Ranatra attenuata Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra australis Hungerford, 1922 i c g b (southern water scorpion)
Ranatra bachmanni De Carlo, 1954
Ranatra bilobata Tran & Nguyen, 2016
Ranatra biroi Lundblad, 1933
Ranatra bottegoi Montandon, 1903
Ranatra brasiliensis De Carlo, 1946
Ranatra brevicauda Montandon, 1905
Ranatra brevicollis Montandon, 1910 i c g b
Ranatra buenoi Hungerford, 1922 i c g b
Ranatra camposi Montandon, 1907
Ranatra capensis Germar, 1837
Ranatra cardamomensis Zettel, Phauk, Kheam & Freitag, 2017
Ranatra chagasi De Carlo, 1946
Ranatra chariensis Poisson, 1949
Ranatra chinensis Mayr, 1865
Ranatra cinnamomea Distant, 1904
Ranatra compressicollis Montandon, 1898
Ranatra costalimai De Carlo, 1954
Ranatra cruzi De Carlo, 1950
Ranatra curtafemorata Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra denticulipes Montandon, 1907
Ranatra digitata Hafiz & Pradhan, 1949
Ranatra diminuta Montandon, 1907
Ranatra dispar Montandon, 1903
Ranatra distanti Montandon, 1910
Ranatra doesburgi De Carlo, 1963
Ranatra dolichodentata Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra dormientis Zhang et al., 1994
Ranatra drakei Hungerford, 1922
Ranatra ecuadoriensis De Carlo, 1950
Ranatra elongata Fabricius, 1790
Ranatra emaciata Montandon, 1907
Ranatra fabricii Guérin-Méneville, 1857
Ranatra falloui Montandon, 1907
Ranatra feana Montandon, 1903
Ranatra fianarantsoana Poisson, 1963
Ranatra filiformis Fabricius, 1790
Ranatra flagellata Lansbury, 1972
Ranatra flokata Nieser & Burmeister, 1998
Ranatra fusca Palisot, 1820 i c g b (brown waterscorpion)
Ranatra fuscoannulata Distant, 1904
Ranatra galantae Nieser, 1969
Ranatra gracilis Dallas, 1850
Ranatra grandicollis Montandon, 1907
Ranatra grandocula Bergroth, 1893
Ranatra hechti De Carlo, 1967
Ranatra heoki Tran & Poggi, 2019
Ranatra heydeni Montandon, 1909
Ranatra horvathi Montandon, 1910
Ranatra hungerfordi Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra incisa Chen, Nieser & Ho, 2004
Ranatra instaurata Montandon, 1914
Ranatra insulata Barber, 1939
Ranatra jamaicana Drake & De Carlo, 1953
Ranatra katsara Nieser, 1997
Ranatra kirkaldyi Torre-bueno, 1905 i c g b
Ranatra lanei De Carlo, 1946
Ranatra lansburyi Chen, Nieser & Ho, 2004
Ranatra lenti De Carlo, 1950
Ranatra lethierryi Montandon, 1907
Ranatra libera Zettel, 1999
Ranatra linearis (Linnaeus, 1758) i c g
Ranatra longipes Stål, 1861
Ranatra lualalai Poisson, 1964
Ranatra lubwae Poisson, 1965
Ranatra machrisi Nieser & Burmeister, 1998
Ranatra macrophthalma Herrich-Schäffer, 1849
Ranatra maculosa Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra magna Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra malayana Lundblad, 1933
Ranatra mediana Montandon, 1910
Ranatra megalops Lansbury, 1972
Ranatra mixta Montandon, 1907
Ranatra moderata Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra montei De Carlo, 1946
Ranatra montezuma Polhemus, 1976
Ranatra natalensis Distant, 1904
Ranatra natunaensis Lansbury, 1972
Ranatra neivai De Carlo, 1946
Ranatra nieseri Tran & Nguyen, 2016
Ranatra nigra Herrich-Schaeffer, 1849
Ranatra nodiceps Gerstaecker, 1873
Ranatra nodioeps Gerstaecker, 1873
Ranatra obscura Montandon, 1907
Ranatra occidentalis Lansbury, 1972
Ranatra odontomeros Nieser, 1996
Ranatra oliveiracesari De Carlo, 1946
Ranatra operculata Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra ornitheia Nieser, 1975
Ranatra parmata Mayr, 1865
Ranatra parvipes Signoret, 1861
Ranatra parvula Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra pittieri Montandon, 1910
Ranatra protense Montandon
Ranatra quadridentata Stål, 1862 i c g b
Ranatra rabida Buchanan White, 1879
Ranatra rafflesi Tran & D.Polhemus, 2012
Ranatra rapax Stål, 1865
Ranatra recta Chen, Nieser & Ho, 2004
Ranatra robusta Montandon, 1905
Ranatra sagrai Drake & De Carlo, 1953
Ranatra sarmientoi De Carlo, 1967
Ranatra sattleri De Carlo, 1967
Ranatra schuhi D.Polhemus & J.Polhemus, 2012
Ranatra segrega Montandon, 1913
Ranatra signoreti Montandon, 1905
Ranatra similis Drake & De Carlo, 1953
Ranatra siolii De Carlo, 1970
Ranatra sjostedti Montandon, 1911
Ranatra spatulata Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra spinifrons Montandon, 1905
Ranatra spoliata Montandon, 1912
Ranatra stali Montandon, 1905
Ranatra sterea Chen, Nieser & Ho, 2004
Ranatra subinermis Montandon, 1907
Ranatra sulawesii Nieser & Chen, 1991
Ranatra surinamensis De Carlo, 1963
Ranatra texana Hungerford, 1930
Ranatra thai Lansbury, 1972
Ranatra titilaensis Hafiz & Pradhan, 1949
Ranatra travassosi De Carlo, 1950
Ranatra tridentata Poisson, 1965
Ranatra tuberculifrons Montandon, 1907
Ranatra unicolor Scott, 1874
Ranatra unidentata Stål, 1861
Ranatra usingeri De Carlo, 1970
Ranatra varicolor Distant, 1904
Ranatra varipes Stål, 1861
Ranatra vitshumbii Poisson, 1949
Ranatra wagneri Hungerford, 1929
Ranatra weberi De Carlo, 1970
Ranatra williamsi Kuitert, 1949
Ranatra zeteki Drake & De Carlo, 1953

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

www.itis.gov/
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.
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.
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.
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.
Heckman, C.W. (2011). Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects: Hemiptera - Heteroptera. Springer. ISBN 978-94-007-0704-7.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility: Ranatra Fabricius, 1790 (retrieved 12 January 2021)
"Ranatra Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
"Browse Ranatra". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
"Ranatra Genus Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-28.