A new introduced species in South America: the Asian water bug Synaptonecta issa (Distant, 1910) (Heteroptera,...

Corixoidea is the only group of water bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Nepomorpha) that does not exhibit strictly predatory habits. Two families have been recorded from the Neotropics: Corixidae and Micronectidae. The latter is represented by three genera in the region: Monogobia Nieser & Chen, 2006, Synaptogobia Nieser & Chen, 2006 and Tenagobia Bergroth, 1899. At least four species of Corixoidea have been introduced into non-native areas: Micronecta ludibunda Breddin, 1905 to North America; Synaptonecta issa (Distant, 1910) to North America, the Caribbean Islands and New Zealand; Trichocorixa verticalis (Fieber, 1851) to Europe, Africa and New Caledonia; and T. reticulata (Guerin-Meneville, 1857) to Hawaii.

Here, we record S. issa from South America for the first time. We collected specimens in the Municipality of Buenaventura, Department of Valle del Cauca, Pacific Region of Colombia. We found it in a permanent freshwater lagoon, in areas dominated by the aquatic plant Cabomba cf. haynessi. We also found the native Neotropical micronectid Tenagobia signata (White, 1879) at the same site and report its first record from Colombia. The introduction pathway of S. issa into South America and any environmental impacts that it might cause locally remain unknown and should be investigated.