Diagnosis and ecological distribution of aquatic (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in Sullein marsh in Basrah, South of Iraq

Abstract

Present study was done during the period between April 2012 and March 2013 in Sullein Marsh, Basrah South of Iraq. Results recorded four families, four genera and four species of hemipteran insects community in different seasons. The families are Corixidae included the species Sigara lateralis (Leach, 1817), Macrovellidae included the species Macrovelia hornii (Uhler, 1872), Pleidae included the species Plealeachi (McGregor and Kirkaldy, 1899) and Mesovillidae included two species Mesovelia vittigera (Horvath, 1895) (apterous) and M. vettigera (macropterous). Some physico-chemical parameters were measured, such as air and water temperatures, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and concentration of heavy metals (Fe, Pb, Cu, Zn) in water. Analysis showed that air and water temperatures correlated with distribution of aquatic Hemiptera, the highest numbers of insects were collected in Winter months and lowest numbers collected in Summer months, the maximum rate of air temperature was 41 ºC in July and the minimum was 13 ºC in January, the maximum and the minimum rates of water temperatures were 32 ºC and 7 ºC in the same months, the maximum range of DO was 11 mg/l in January and the minimum was 8 in July, the maximum concentration of salinity was 3.3 g/l in July and the minimum was 2.8 g/l in January and February. About pH the maximum range was 8.2 in January and the minimum was 7.4 in June and July. Maximum concentration of Fe, Pb, Cu and Zn were 215.01, 22.78, 18.54 and 223.14 μg/l respectively in July.