Belostoma plebejum (Stål, 1860)

Zaitha plebeja Stål, 1860: Svensk. Vet. Akad. Handl., 83–84.

Belostoma plebejum: Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno, 1909: Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, 192.

Material examined. San Ignacio RS: 1 ♂, 2–5.iii.2015. San Nicolás RS: 1♂, 13–15.xii.2013. Yahaveré RS: 1 ♀, Trin Lagoon, 12.xii.2014.

General distribution. Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay (Moreira et al. 2011b).

Habitat. Belostoma plebejum has been found in urban rain pools (without aquatic vegetation), ponds (densely vegetated), lakes, lagoons (in vegetated margins), bogs, reservoirs, and in quiet edges of streams and rivers (Ribeiro 2005; Estévez & Polhemus 2007; Armúa de Reyes & Kehr 2008; Fontanarrosa et al. 2009; Almeida et al. 2019).

At the INR, B. plebejum was collected from the margins of the Iberá Lagoon in shallow waters with emergent and floating vegetation (Estévez et al. 2003). During the present study, this species was collected from the margins with dense floating, emergent, and submerged vegetation in lentic habitats and in standing water of lotic habitats.