Phoreticovelia disparata

Phoreticovelia disparata, also called the Zeus bug, is a species of semi-aquatic bug from the family Veliidae (tribe Microveliini) with a unique form of sexual dimorphism. It is endemic to Australia (Queensland).[1]

Phoreticovelia disparata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Veliidae
Genus: Phoreticovelia
Species:
P. disparata
Binomial name
Phoreticovelia disparata
D. Polhemus and J. Polhemus, 2000

Biology

Phoreticovelia disparata live near tropical rivers. They are 1–2 mm in length. It is the only known species (aside from its sister species Phoreticovelia rotunda) where the female feeds the male a nuptial gift.[2][3] They are sexually dimorphic; the female mating form has a special glandular area on the dorsal surface of the body. The half-sized male (about 1 mm long) clings to her, feeding on the secretions of a pair of glands, sitting on his partner for several days. Both adult males and females have wings, but females are wingless at the mating stage, as they are still at the 4th or 5th larval stage (nymphs). In adult winged females, which are about 2 mm in length, the specialised feeding glands are lost.

Name

The common name (Zeus bug) originates from the myth which in the ancient Greek god Zeus swallowed his first wife, Metis.[3][4][5]

References
  1. Polhemus, D. A. & Polhemus, J. T. (2000). Additional new genera and species of Microveliinae (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from New Guinea and adjacent regions. — Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 143, 91-123 (2000).
  2. Roger Highfield (2003-07-24). "Sexist bug that enjoys a free ride through life". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2013-09-15. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  3. Gran Arnqvist, Thersa M. Jones and Mark A. Elgar. (2007). The extraordinary mating system of Zeus bugs (Heteroptera :Veliidae: Phoreticovelia sp.). Australian Journal of Zoology, 2007, 55, 131—137.
  4. Göran Arnqvist, Therésa M. Jones & Mark A. Elgar (2003). "Insect behaviour: reversal of sex roles in nuptial feeding" (PDF). Nature. 424 (6947): 387. Bibcode:2003Natur.424..387A. doi:10.1038/424387a. PMID 12879056. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-12-30.
  5. Therésa M. Jones & Göran Arnqvist & Kathryn B. McNamara & Mark A.Elgar. (2012). Size-assortative pairing across three developmental stages in the Zeus bug, Phoreticovelia disparata. — Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.(2012). 66:995-1003. DOI10.1007/s00265-012-1347-y


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