Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the West‐Palaearctic Velia (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha: Veliidae)

We investigated the systematics and biogeography of the West‐Palaearctic water cricket genus Velia Latreille based on a phylogenetic analysis of five molecular markers obtained from 79% of all known taxa of the subgenera Velia (s.s.) and Velia ( Plesiovelia ) Tamanini. The results revealed a sister‐group relationship between Velia ( Plesiovelia ) and the monotypic subgenus Velia (s.s.), and showed that the former is divided into three major...