Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Oiovelia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae)

Abstract

The genus Oiovelia Drake & Maldonado-Capriles, 1952 includes foam-inhabiting insects that occur from Venezuela to Argentina and contains four previously described species: Oiovelia brasiliensis Moreira, Nessimian & Rúdio, 2010, O. cunucunumana Drake & Maldonado-Capriles, 1952, O. rivicola Spangler, 1986, and O. spumicola Spangler, 1986. A redescription of the genus, diagnostic information on the four described species, description of four new species from Brazil (O. chenae sp. nov., O. hamadae sp. nov., O. pydanieli sp. nov., and O. viannai sp. nov.), an identification key, photos, and illustrations of male genitalia of all the species are herein presented. To facilitate separation of the New World genera of the subfamily Veliinae, an updated identification key is also presented.