The taxonomic impediment of unrecognised flight polymorphism in Notonectidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)
Author
Young, Euan C.
text
Zootaxa
2010
2535
35
48
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.196610
f185606b-e041-4f6e-a8a6-f8324b88f081
1175-5326
196610
Enithares
(
Lansbury 1968
)
Appendix 4 shows that of the 47 species from the Oriental Region in
Lansbury (1968)
account, only the flying morph is described in 6, only the flightless morph in 5, but both morphs in greater or lesser detail in 22. In a further 12 species one of the morphs being described is clearly apparent while the other is in doubt, whereas in two species it is uncertain which morph is described. In
E. ciliata
and
E. lineatipes
three colour forms are described, a pale, intermediate, and dark. The dark one is certainly the flying morph and the other two are likely to be pigmented variations of the flightless one.
Lansbury noted in his introduction that, as long known, many species have two colour forms and ‘where fairly large series of specimens have been available for study, i.e.,
E. woodwardi
, every kind of intergrade between the pale and almost melanic form has been found. Therefore, no reliance should be placed on color in naming
Enithares
.’ His next sentence states that the most dominant colour forms are described, but does not designate which one in the text for each species.