Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Trichocorixa reticulata Guérin-Méneville, 1857

Water Boatman

Mostly phytophagous (on algae or diatoms); aquatic; littoral, arid and transitions zones; in salty lagoons and pools up to 600 m from coast; at black light in arid zones; February-July, October-November.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Hemiptera

Suborder
Heteroptera

Superfamily
Corixoidea

Family
Corixidae

Genus
Trichocorixa

Species
reticulata

Taxon category: Accepted

Several species in this genus are physiologically adapted to high concentrations of salt in saline coastal lagoons and pools. At present, the two Galápagos seem to have mutually exclusive distributions (on separate islands). The report of T. reticulata on Isla Isabela (Gerecke et al., 1995: 132) is an error. If the two species are mutually exclusive is an interesting ecological question.

Origin: Native

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

References

  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Froeschner, R.C. (1985) Synopsis of the Heteroptera or True Bugs of the Galápagos Islands. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 407: 1-84.
  • Gelin, A. Gravez, V. (2002) Lagunas costeras. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 119-145.
  • Gerecke, R. Peck, S.B. & Pehofer, H.E. (1995) The invertebrate fauna of the inland waters of the Galápagos Archipelago (Ecuador) - a limnological and zoogeographical summary. Arch. Hydrobiol./ Suppl. 107(2): 113-147.
  • Linsley, E.G. Usinger, R.L. (1966) Insects of the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Fourth Series 33(7): 113-196.
  • Peck, S.B. (2001) Smaller Orders of Insects of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 278 pp.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Trichocorixa reticulata", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7025. Accessed 3 November 2026.