Martarega

White, 1879

backswimmers

Species Guides

Martarega mexicana(backswimmer)

Martarega is a of backswimmers in the Notonectidae, containing approximately 13-20 described distributed throughout the Western Hemisphere from the southern United States to Argentina. The genus was established by White in 1879 and is classified within the tribe Nychiini. Brazil harbors the greatest diversity with 14 recorded species, though distributional gaps remain across 11 Brazilian states. Recent records have documented the first occurrence of the genus in the United States and expanded known ranges in eastern Brazil.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Martarega: //mɑr.təˈrɛ.ɡə//

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Distribution

Western Hemisphere from southern United States to Argentina. Brazil: 14 recorded across multiple states including Mato Grosso (five species: M. bentoi, M. brasiliensis, M. chinai, M. gonostyla, M. membranacea). First United States record documented. Colombia (GBIF).

More Details

Taxonomic note

counts vary between sources: Wikipedia cites ~13 described species, while distribution-focused literature cites 20 described species. This discrepancy may reflect recent descriptions or differing taxonomic treatments.

Research focus

Most published research on Martarega concerns geographic distribution and cytological studies of (M. brasiliensis), rather than or natural history.