Ochteroidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) of Pará, Brazil, with new records from the western portion of the state

Abstract

Abstract Ochteroidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) includes the families Gelastocoridae and Ochteridae. Most species inhabit the margins of water bodies, although some members of the genus Nerthra Say, 1832 (Gelastocoridae: Nerthrinae) may be found on epigeus far from aquatic environments. In northern Brazil, Gelastocoridae diversity is better known in the states of Amazonas and Pará. In turn, three species of Ochteridae have been reported from Amazonas, but none from Pará. Here, we provide an updated list of Ochteroidea recorded from Pará, including new records based on fieldwork conducted between November 2019 and February 2025 along the margins of 17 water bodies in the western portion of the state. Our findings include the first records from the state of Gelastocoris amazonensisMelin, 1929, Ochterus aeneifrons surinamensisNieser, 1975, and O. perbosci (Guérin-Méneville, 1843). We also expand the known distributions of G. flavus flavus (Guérin-Méneville, 1835), G. vandamepompanoniBoulard & Jauffret, 1984, and Nerthra raptoria (Fabricius, 1803) in western Pará. Notably, G. vandamepompanoni is reported for the first time since its original description more than 40 years ago. These new records contribute to fill the Wallacean gap for Ochteroidea in the Amazon and highlight the importance of continued faunistic surveys in underexplored areas.