ON THE GENUS RH:4GOV ELlA. MA YR FROM INDIA WITH A NEW RECORD AND DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES

The knowledge on the genus Rhagovelia Mayr froIh India was based on recording of species from different parts of the country (Distant, 1910 ; Paiva, 1919 ; Hafiz and Mathai, 1938; Hafiz and Ribeir.o , 1939; Pradhan, 1950; Thirumalai, 1989). While studying the Rhagoveliinae of Oriental region, Lundblad (1936) described R. tibialis from S. India and R. sumatrensi8 from Indonesia and Sikkiro, based on few examples with inadequate morphological characters and without detailed figures. In the present study, R. ceylanica Lundblad, hitherto. known from Sri Lanka, is recorded for the first time from India and a new species of the genus is described from Westem Ghats. Besides, a detailed description of R. ceylanica and R. tibialis additional taxonomical characters are also figured for the first time in this paper. A key to all the Indian species is also given. The study is based aD materials collected by the author from different parts of Eastern and Lower Western Ghats of Tamilnadu and Kerala over a period of eleven years.

Records 0/ the ZODlogical Survey of India about 100 of these are new world species.There are 13 Oriental species and three of which so far known to occur in India [includes R. (R).nigricans (Burmeister)]_ The members of the ,genus have been recorded to occur in streams, rivers and springs_ Key to the Indian species of Rhagovelia 1. Pronotum long; mesonotum less exposed; hind trochanters unarmed.(Subgenus Rhagovelia) ••• 2.
Remarks: Lundblad (1936) while describing R. tibialis from Anamalai, Coimbatore District Tamilnadu based on one male and two females (apterous) stated that the , arrangement of spines in hind femora and a thick distinct spine in the middle portion of hind tibia are the distinguishing characters of the species_ However, there was no subsequent report of the species from India or elsewhere.In the present study dealing with a series of specimens from different localities indicates that the presence of a distinct central spine in hind tibia is not a constant character, as different degrees of spine development ranging from total absence to well developed ones are met within apterous A males, but absent in winged males.However, the paramer~s of both forms are similar showing no variation in size or shal?e.The femora are distinctly~ swollen in males (two to three and half times as long as wide) and J;lot so in r~males.
Remarks, : The present record of R. cey/anica is the first report of the species from India.While studying aquatic and semi-aquatic Hemiptera of Tamilnadu this , species was erroneously identified as R.. nigricans (Burmeister) (Thirumalai, 1989)_ Further, the report of R. nJgrzcans from different localities from India by Hafiz & Mathai (1938), Hafiz & Ribeiro (1939) and Pradhan (1950) could also refer to the present species.R. cey/anica can easily be differentiated from R. nigricans by the absence of stiff blunt spines at the base of middle femur.According to Lundblad (1936), the parameres of R. ceylanica is not strongly twisted and not as broad as that of R. nigrlcans, even though the tip is obliquely pointed, thus appearing somewhat similar.Colour: Black: a transverse yellow rectangular facia on anterior margin of pronotum below interocular space of head; antennae and legs dark brownish black except base of first antennal segments, coxae, trochanters and basal half of front femora, yellow; thoracic pleura and venter black, covered with ftosty ~ey i ~enit,l segments brown, shinning; body and legs hairy.

STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS (mm)
Antenna: 1 : 2 3 : 4 : Q'4S, 0"3, 0'35 , 0-4 (Fig. 3k) Head including eyes twice wider than long in male, two and a half times wider in female.Pronotum shorter than length of an eye, its rear margin weakly undulate.MesoDotum large, broadly rounded., medially slightly concave, exposing metanotum on sides and rear • .Apterous male (Fig. 3 a): Troachanters armed with very short thornlike spines; fore femur slightly shorter than tibia, armed with minute spines basally (Fig. 3 m); fore tibia broad distally with a longitudinal comb-like ridge at the distal end (Fig. 3 h) ; first and second tarsi minute; middle femur longest; hind femur armed with spines, the arrangement as in (Fig. 3 d, e) ; hind tibia incrassate, hind tarsi with third segment longest, first and second being equal.Pronotum at middle three times wider than long : mesonotum wider than long (3:5).Genital segments a little longer than the last abdominal tergite.Connexivum well "developed.Black minute spines on the posterior margin on the seventh abdominal segment (Fig. 3.1).Lateral view of genital segments as in (Fig. 3 j) ; parameres symmetrical, narrowing towards tip, tip bent and pointed (Fig. 3.i).
Tegmina and wing as in (Fig. 3 o.p).Rest same as that of apterous male.Winged .female; Same as that of winged male.Pronotum slightly longer than the winged male.
Remarks: This is the first record of the subgenus Neorhagovelia.from India.From' the• known species of this subgenus, this species can be differentiated by the structure of paramere, the armed nature of all trochanters, the presence of a small connexival spine in female, the.black minute spines on the posterior margin of the male seventh abdominal segment, the character of the fore femur and other characters mentioned in the text.
The type material is deposited in.Southern Regional Station of Zoological Survey of India, Madras and will be transferred• to the National Collections of ZSI, Calcutta in .due course.

SUMMARY
This study reports a new species of the genus Rhagovelia and records Rhagovelia ceylanica Lundblad and the subgenus NeorhagQvelia for the first time from India.A detalied description oof R. ceylanica and R. tibialis Lundblad together with many new taxonomical characters are figured for the first time.A key to the Indian species of the genus is also provided.

Fig. 2 :
Fig.2- Fig. ~.p ; parameres symmetrical, viewed in different angles as in Fig. 2.q, r.Antennae long, 1st longest, stout, curved, rest slender, III & IV subequal, II shortest, length of segments I-IV (mm) : 0-65, 0'4, o-SS, 0-5.Fore tibia broad distally with a short tibial comb (Fig.2 m), I & II tarsi minute; middle leg longest, middle tibia almost equal to hind tibia; hind femur stout, armed beneath with spines from middle to apex, 7 or 8 in a row, gradual1y reducing in size, central being the longest and curved (Fig.2.g), hind tibia armed with a ~iDgle row of small teeth (Fig.2.j) ; measurements of legs (in mm) Similar to apterous male, exccept in the absence of foretibial comb, lesser number of spines in hind femur (4-S) (Fig.2i), hind tibia unarmed (Fig.2.I).Connexivua a little more raised than in apterous male, tips with long numerous errect hairs.Antennae a little shorter, measurements of segments I-IV (mm) On the genus Rhagovelia Mayr from India 3~9 Fig 3 Robust, black; basal one-third of 1st antennal segments, all coxae, trochanters, basal half of fore femora, basal one-third of hind femora dark yellow; antennae, legs, dark shining brown; fore and hind wings dark brownish black; pronotum with an orange elongate spot at anterior part below vertex; lateral sides of thorax, tergites, connexiva with long brown hairs, denser towards connexival apices; legs longly hairy; venter black, hairy, genital segments brown_ Hind win.-Records f)f the Zoological Survey of India Colour: STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICSApterow male: Head with a central median impressed line reaching middle of vertex; a pair of oblique impressed line posteriorly, directed backwards; rostrum reaching up to anterior coxae.Pronotum much longer than an eye, 1-2 x broader than long; a little more twice longer than head on middle line; posterior margin concave.