DESCRIPTION OF A NEW MICROVELIA FROM VENEZUELA 905 



is deposited in the Muséum of Natural History of Geneva, except two paratypes 

 2), which are in the Polhemus Collection. 



1/3 mm 



I 1 



FiG. 1. 



Microvelia cavennda n. sp., ventrite 7 and génital segments. 



Diagnosis : Microvelia cavernula n. sp. belongs to the group of Microvelia in 

 which the pronotum completely covers the mesonotum. It most closely resembles 

 M. ioana Drake and Hottes 1952, however the latter differs in having the latéral 

 margins of the pronotum constricted medially whereas in cavernula they are evenly 

 rounded. The maie of ioana is not known, but the deep excavation between 

 ventrite 7 and the génital segments seems to be unique to cavernula. 



REFERENCES 



Bacon, J. A. 1956. A taxonomic study of the genus Rhagovelia (Hemiptera, Veliidae) 

 ofthe Western Hémisphère, Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 38 (1): 695-913. 



Drake, C. J. and F. C. Hottes. 1952. New Neogean water-striders of the genus Micro- 

 velia. Bull. So. Calif. Acad. Sci. 51 (2): 63-67. 



