Review of the Hygrophilous Weevils in Israel ( Coleoptera : Curculionoidea )

Forty-one species in 20 genera of hygrophilous weevils belonging to Brentidae and Curculionidae, associated with inland aquatic habitats, have been recorded recently from Israel, eight of them for the first time. Thirty-four species are extant, while five species have probably become extinct recently, and two are fossil species, known from Late Cretaceous deposits. Sixteen species are either aquatic or semi-aquatic, while the rest occur only or predominantly on riparian vegetation. Distributional and biological data for most of the species are provided. A key to all hygrophilous weevil taxa and illustrations for most of the species are provided.


Introduction
Weevils are the largest monophyletic group of beetles, comprising more than 62,000 described species [1].Only a minority of these are aquatic or semi-aquatic, and completely aquatic species comprise less than 1% of the weevil world fauna [2].Most of the aquatic weevils inhabit inland freshwater habitats, although there are some weevil taxa (mainly Cossoninae) that inhabit the supratidal zone (splash zone) and develop on marine algae driven ashore [3] or on timber floating in seawater [4][5][6].Many weevil species, albeit not directly associated with water, occur mainly or predominantly in wetlands, near or above the water, primarily because their host plants are hygrophilous.This is especially noticeable in semi-arid countries with a dry climate, like Israel.Completely aquatic and semi-aquatic weevils are confined to standing water or to water with a very slow current, and are therefore mostly found in lakes, swamps, ponds, floodplains, or eddies of slow-moving rivers or in artificial or temporary ponds [7].Those hygrophilous weevils that are not aquatic are less limited in their distribution and can be found adjacent to any water body of considerable size, with either standing or flowing water, if their host plants are available.
One of the earliest geographical descriptions of the Land of Israel, in the Book of Deuteronomy (8:7), refers to it as "a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out in the valleys and mountains."The current State of Israel [8] (matching partly the historical Land of Israel) is a country encompassing a Mediterranean-type, as well as semi-arid and arid climatic zones (Figure 17).A rapid rainfall gradient spreads along less than 450 km, from almost 1000 mm in the north to barely 20 mm in the south [9].The northern part of the country (Galilee, Golan Heights, Upper Jordan Valley, Yizre'el (=Jezreel) Valley, Carmel Ridge), and the coastal plain and western slopes of the Samarian and Judean Hills possess typical Mediterranean vegetation (phrygana and batha), while the southern part (Negev Desert), eastern slopes of the Samarian and Judean Hills (Samarian and Judean Deserts) and the southern part of the Jordan Valley, Dead Sea Area and Arava Valley are semi-deserts or deserts with either steppe type (at higher altitudes) or eremic type vegetation.The coastal plain is fringed by a strip of sand dunes, wider in the southern part and tapering northwards, which in the past played an important role in the formation of the coastal swamps.
In spite of the arid nature of its climate, Israel possesses numerous and varied aquatic biotopes.Its inland water system is affected by the complex geological history of the area.Most of the country lies on the western slope of the northernmost tip of the Rift Valley.The water systems are therefore divided longitudinally by the Galilee mountains and Samarian and Judean Hills into the coastal system in the west, including approximately 15 streams flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, and the Rift Valley itself in the east, subdivided into the Jordan Valley (Jordan River, its tributaries, the Hula Lake, and Lake Kinneret) and the Dead Sea with its tributaries.The coastal and the Jordan Valley systems were partially connected until the second half of the 20th century by the low Yizre'el Valley (swampy in the past) [10,11].In the Mediterranean zone the banks are covered by thickets of Rubus edged by Arundo, Phragmites, Lythrum, Melilotus (Figures 1c and 2c), and Mentha (Figure 2a) along the water edge and Persicaria inside the water (Figure 3e).The northern Hula Valley and the Upper Galilee also feature relicts of the historical riparian forests, comprising Salix, Tamarix, Platanus, Fraxinus, and Populus.Toward the south the vegetation becomes more hallophylic, mainly comprising thickets of Tamarix, Pluchea, Arundo, Phragmites, Atriplex, and Juncus, characteristic also for the shores of the Dead Sea (Figure 1a,b).The aquatic flora of Israel is rich and variable, although many water plants have a very restricted distribution [12][13][14].
The inland water bodies in Israel can be classified as following: rivers, streams, lakes, springs, swamps, and vernal pools.
The largest river in Israel is the River Jordan (=Nehar haYarden), flowing from Mount Hermon through the bottom of the Rift Valley into the Dead Sea (Figure 1f).There are other smaller rivers, streams or brooks ("Nahal" in Hebrew), which flow either into the Mediterranean Sea or the Jordan Valley, most of them seasonal, containing water between once every few years to 1-2 months in winter, while the rest contain water throughout the year or at least for most of the year.Numerous springs occur throughout Israel, some of them used for agriculture or as tourist sites (Figure 3f).These natural springs are surrounded by thick vegetation.
A chain of three lakes formed at the bottom of a tectonic depression stretches along the Jordan Valley: the freshwater Hula Lake, the Sea of Galilee (=Yam Kinneret), and the extremely saline Dead Sea (=Yam haMelah).The shallow Hula Lake (14 km 2 ) surrounded by the Hula swamp (30-60 km 2 , depending on the precipitation in any particular year) was once exceptionally rich in flora and fauna, until it was drained in the 1950s in order to eradicate malaria and to release land for agriculture.The drainage dessicated the lake and its surroundings, resulting in the loss of most of its biota, with some of the animal and plant species completely disappearing and populations of the remaining species strongly reduced [10,[15][16][17].Currently, 3.2 km 2 comprise the Hula Nature Reserve (Figure 3a-d) with its remnants of the natural vegetation, while 8-10 km 2 belong to the artificially flooded Agmon haHula, where attempts are being made to reintroduce the natural biota [18][19][20].The Sea of Galilee (170 km 2 ) is the largest freshwater body in Israel.Its shores suffer strongly from human activities (urbanization, agriculture, tourism) and from a lowering of the water level as a result of dessication.The natural vegetation has remained relatively untouched in only a few preserved areas along its east-northern edge.Most of its coast is now either cultivated or features monocultural stands of Arundo, Phragmites, or Tamarix.The Dead Sea (605 km 2 ) features extremely halobiontic conditions.The salinity of its water reaches 35%, and no multicellular organisms can survive in it, although soldier fly larvae (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) have been reported, probably having drifted in with the freshwater flow [21].Its shores too are strongly saline.In recent years the water level in the Dead Sea has been receeding, and the shores are drying out and crumbling, which strongly affects the coastal flora and fauna.Swamps once constituted the most common biotope in the lower areas of Israel, like the coastal plain, Yizre'el Valley and Hula Valley, at least since the Holocene.A nearly continuous chain of swamps once stretched along the Mediterranean coast, dammed in the west by the strip of dunes.These swamps were drained at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century in order to release land for human use and eradicate malaria.Most of them have disappeared completely, while some have become vernal ponds (e.g., 'En Gonen, Ahu Binyamina, Dora, Netanya Pool, Ga'ash Pool (Figure 4f,g)), Basa of Herzliyya, Levinski Pool, Robert's Pool (4h) or were strongly reduced (e.g., Berekhat Ya'ar (Figure 4a), 'En Nimfit (Figure 4c), 'En Afeq, Hula (Figure 3a-d)) and remained only as nature reserves (the latter two are also under the protection of the RAMSAR convention [22].Swamps once constituted the most common biotope in the lower areas of Israel, like the coastal plain, Yizre'el Valley and Hula Valley, at least since the Holocene.A nearly continuous chain of swamps once stretched along the Mediterranean coast, dammed in the west by the strip of dunes.These swamps were drained at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century in order to release land for human use and eradicate malaria.Most of them have disappeared completely, while some have become vernal ponds (e.g., 'En Gonen, Ahu Binyamina, Dora, Netanya Pool, Ga'ash Pool (Figure 4f,g)), Basa of Herzliyya, Levinski Pool, Robert's Pool (4h) or were strongly reduced (e.g., Berekhat Ya'ar (Figure 4a), 'En Nimfit (Figure 4c), 'En Afeq, Hula (Figure 3a-d)) and remained only as nature reserves (the latter two are also under the protection of the RAMSAR convention [22].Vernal (seasonal, ephemeral) pools, featuring water only during the winter and early spring, occur in Israel along the coastal plain, on the western slopes of the Samarian and Judean Hills, in the uplands of the Upper and Lower Galilee, and on the Golan Heights.In the coastal area they have mainly replaced the historical swamps.Some of the vernal pools may contain water throughout the winter, while others are full for only 1-3 months a year or can remain dry for several years.The unique ecosystem of vernal pools enables specialized plants to thrive, some of which can survive or produce dormant life-stages during the dry season.
All wetland habitats in Israel are particularly vulnerable and are under constant threat of physical disappearance, destruction or pollution, particularly because of their fragility and small size.Even innocent and natural human activities such as tourism or cattle grazing can cause serious damage to the riparian and aquatic vegetation, leading to the disappearance of the invertebrate fauna.During the 20th century wetlands in Israel were both exploited actively and destroyed accidently, which led to the loss of up to 80% of these habitats [23][24][25].The insect aquatic fauna too was naturally denser and more variable 100 years ago (e.g., [16,17,19,26]).Today, we can only study it in its decline.Vernal (seasonal, ephemeral) pools, featuring water only during the winter and early spring, occur in Israel along the coastal plain, on the western slopes of the Samarian and Judean Hills, in the uplands of the Upper and Lower Galilee, and on the Golan Heights.In the coastal area they have mainly replaced the historical swamps.Some of the vernal pools may contain water throughout the winter, while others are full for only 1-3 months a year or can remain dry for several years.The unique ecosystem of vernal pools enables specialized plants to thrive, some of which can survive or produce dormant life-stages during the dry season.
All wetland habitats in Israel are particularly vulnerable and are under constant threat of physical disappearance, destruction or pollution, particularly because of their fragility and small size.Even innocent and natural human activities such as tourism or cattle grazing can cause serious damage to the riparian and aquatic vegetation, leading to the disappearance of the invertebrate fauna.During the 20th century wetlands in Israel were both exploited actively and destroyed accidently, which led to the loss of up to 80% of these habitats [23][24][25].The insect aquatic fauna too was naturally denser and more variable 100 years ago (e.g., [16,17,19,26]).Today, we can only study it in its decline.
In Israel, the taxonomic knowledge on aquatic insects as a whole is limited.However, some groups, such as Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Trichoptera, Diptera (e.g., [16,[27][28][29][30][31]), and some of the aquatic beetles [26, [32][33][34][35] have been studied and published.The aquatic weevil fauna in Israel nonetheless has remained completely unknown.The first records of water weevils in Israel were descriptions of Picia syriaca (Reitter) and Echinocnemus sahlbergi Shilsky.Since then an unidentified species of Bagous was recorded from the Hula Valley [18].Caldara and O'Brien [36] recorded five species of Bagous in their revision of the Palaearctic Bagous, based on the material deposited in European and American museums.Alonso-Zarazaga and Lyal [37] recorded Aorus anthracinus Branczik; and Friedman [4] recorded Arthrostenus fullo Boheman and Icaris sparganii (Gyllenhal).Comprehensive data on the distribution and biology (where available) of the hygrophilic species of Israel are presented here for the first time.

Materials and Methods
The majority of the studied material is deposited in the National Collection of Insects, the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, National Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Israel (SMNHTAU); therefore, this abbreviation is omitted from the Material Examined section.For the specimens from the other museums the following abbreviations are used: BMNH-Natural History Museum, London, UK (M.Barclay).HNHM-Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary.USNM-National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA (L.Chamorro).ZSMU-Zoologische Staatssamlung München, Munich, Germany (M.Balke).
Drawings and measurements were made using a drawing tube and a stereomicroscope Leica M125, Leica Microsystems GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany.Drawings were scanned and processed using Adobe Illustrator 9.0, Adobe Systems Incorporated, San Jose, CA, USA.Total body length in dorsal view was measured along a straight line from the base of the rostrum to the tip of the elytra.Images of the weevil habitus were captured with a Leica DfC295 digital camera, Leica Microsystems GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany, mounted on a Leica M205c microscope, Leica Microsystems GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany, stacking images with Leica Application Suite 4.2.0,Leica Microsystems GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany, and Helicon Focus 5.3, Helicon Soft Ltd., Kharkiv, Ukraine, and editing the final images when necessary with Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, Adobe Systems Incorporated, San Jose, CA, USA.Genitalia were extracted by soaking dry specimens in hot water, removing the posterior abdominal sternites, and boiling them in a 10% water solution of potassium hydroxide.Extracted genitalia were preserved in glycerin in polyethylene stoppered vials, pinned next to the specimens.Photographs were made by the author, apart from Figures 1d,e and 4a,b,d,e.
Transliterated names of localities in Israel follow the Israel Touring Map and List of Settlements published by the Survey of Israel [8].Where names of localities have changed, the most recent transliterated Hebrew names are given followed by the old names in brackets: for example-Yeriho [Jericho].Erroneous spellings are also included in brackets following the correct spelling.Plant names and distribution follow Danin and Fragman-Sapir [38].Regional subdivision of Israel follows Theodor [39], with changes made by Ionescu and Eyer [40].
The hygrophilous weevil species in Israel can be divided into three eco-groups, not always distinct: aquatic, semi-aquatic, and riparian.Aquatic species are considered here to be only those that live on water-growing plants and possess clear adaptations for aquatic life (streamlined body form, rostrum short or bent under the body, body covered by flat attached scales, abdominal segments covered by short dense pubescence, tibia long and slender, with longitudinal row of denticles or/and setae, etc.), and their swimming abilities have been proven either by my own observations or from records in the literature.Aquatic weevils mainly swim in the water rather than on its surface.Semi-aquatic weevils are those that live on the water plants or on the riparian vegetation and seldom enter the water, possessing weak or unclear adaptations to their aquatic surroundings.If they are able to swim, they swim either in the water or on its surface [41].Riparian species are those that live on the riparian plants, having no adaptations to aquatic life and entering the water only accidentally.14f); male rostrum slightly tapering at apex, slightly evenly bent, not turned up at apex in lateral view (Figure 14c), female rostrum nearly straight (Figure 14d); body length 1.

Treatment of Genera and Species
BRENTIDAE Billberg, 1820 [42] Apioninae Schoenherr, 1823 [43] Apioninae are distributed worldwide [44], comprising approximately 700 species in the Palaearctic region [45].None of the Palaearctic species are known to be aquatic, but some are associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic hostplants and therefore consistently found near the water.Seventy-five species of Apionidae have been recorded so far from Israel, developing on annuals and perennials and inhabiting a wide variety of biotopes, mainly completely terrestrial, all fully-winged and able to fly [46].Some of them can be found occasionally to frequently in wet habitats, resting on the trees above the water or developing in the annuals along the bank (e.g., Protapion spp., Onychapion poupillieri (Wencker, 1864) [47]), but Squamapion delagrangei is the only species exclusively riparian.
Biology: Riparian.On Mentha longifolia L. (Lamiaceae) (Figure 2a,b).Adults active in May-November.Nanophyinae Gistel, 1848 [49] Nanophyinae are mainly distributed in the Old World Tropics and Eurasia, scarce in the Nearctic region and Australasia, and absent from Central and South America [50,51].They comprise 107 species in the Palaearctic region [45].This subfamily has recently been subdivided into two tribes: Corimaliini (47 spp.), associated exclusively with Tamaricaceae (Tamarix, Reamuria) and Nanophyini (60 spp.), associated with various plant families, but mostly with Lythraceae, Ericaceae, Crassulaceae, and Cupressaceae [50,51].There are no aquatic species among Nanophyinae, although there are many riparian ones, living on Tamarix spp.and Lythrum spp.Nanophyinae have well-developed flight wings and fly very well but are unable to swim.
The full data on the Israeli fauna of Nanophyinae await publication because the survey of this group is still incomplete, with some species remaining unidentified and some probably representing undescribed species.Nanophyinae Gistel, 1848 [49] Nanophyinae are mainly distributed in the Old World Tropics and Eurasia, scarce in the Nearctic region and Australasia, and absent from Central and South America [50,51].They comprise 107 species in the Palaearctic region [45].This subfamily has recently been subdivided into two tribes: Corimaliini (47 spp.), associated exclusively with Tamaricaceae (Tamarix, Reamuria) and Nanophyini (60 spp.), associated with various plant families, but mostly with Lythraceae, Ericaceae, Crassulaceae, and Cupressaceae [50,51].There are no aquatic species among Nanophyinae, although there are many riparian ones, living on Tamarix spp.and Lythrum spp.Nanophyinae have well-developed flight wings and fly very well but are unable to swim.
The full data on the Israeli fauna of Nanophyinae await publication because the survey of this group is still incomplete, with some species remaining unidentified and some probably representing undescribed species.Corimaliini Alonso-Zarazaga, 1989 [50] (Figures 1a-d, 5b-f and 6c-g) Corimaliini comprises nine species in three genera in Israel: two species of Allomalia Alonso-Zarazaga, 1989 [50], six species of Corimalia Gozis, 1885 [52], and one species of Hypophyes Reitter, 1916 [53], all associated with Tamarix spp.Six species are riparian.There are approximately 13 species of Tamarix in Israel, some extremely difficult to identify.Some of the Tamarix species prefer saline soil and brackish water and, therefore, grow along the central and lower Jordan River, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea and surrounding streams, near springs, streams, and water reservoirs in the Central Negev, and in the swamps and around the natural ponds and artificial fish ponds along the Coastal Plain and the Jordan Valley.Allomalia quadrivirgata (Costa, 1863) [54] (Figures 5b, 6c) and A. setulosa (Tournier, 1868) [55] (Figures 5c and 6d) are the most common Corimaliini Corimaliini Alonso-Zarazaga, 1989 [50] (Figures 1a-d, 5b-f and 6c-g) Corimaliini comprises nine species in three genera in Israel: two species of Allomalia Alonso-Zarazaga, 1989 [50], six species of Corimalia Gozis, 1885 [52], and one species of Hypophyes Reitter, 1916 [53], all associated with Tamarix spp.Six species are riparian.There are approximately 13 species of Tamarix in Israel, some extremely difficult to identify.Some of the Tamarix species prefer saline soil and brackish water and, therefore, grow along the central and lower Jordan River, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea and surrounding streams, near springs, streams, and water reservoirs in the Central Negev, and in the swamps and around the natural ponds and artificial fish ponds along the Coastal Plain and the Jordan Valley.Allomalia quadrivirgata (Costa, 1863) [54] (Figures 5b and 6c) and A. setulosa (Tournier, 1868) [55] (Figures 5c and 6d) are the most common Corimaliini species throughout the country, both in the Mediterranean zone and in the desert.They usually occur in large numbers, often with both species occuring together on the same plants.Of six species of Corimalia, C. schatzmayri Giordani-Soika, 1937 [56] (Figures 5e and 6f) and C. torretrassoi Giordani-Soika, 1937 [56] (Figures 5f and 6g) occur along both the northern and central parts of the Mediterranean coast and in the oases along the north-west shore of the Dead Sea (e.g., 'Enot Zuqim Nature Reserve (Figure 1a,b)); C. latifrons (Pic, 1897) [57] (Figures 5d and 6e) occurs in the swamps along the lower Jordan Valley (e.g., Malha Swamp (Figure 1c)) and along the Dead Sea.Hypophyes sp. is rarely found in the Coastal Plain but is common in the Jordan Valley and along the Dead Sea, found frequently both near the water and in completely dry areas.
Biology: Members of Corimaliini in Israel develop in the inflorescence of Tamarix spp.(Tamaricaceae) (Figure 1d).Adults can be found all year round, but are mostly active during the blooming season of Tamarix, when hundreds of specimens, comprising all or some of the aforementioned species, can be observed.Corimaliini are frequently collected in water, but it is clear to me that they have been either swept from the plant or fell down accidently.After falling into the water these small (1-3 mm long) and very light weevils do not sink; they remain above the water and are able to spread their wings and return to the tree.Nanophyini Gistel, 1848 [49] (Figures 1e, 2c, 5g,h and 6h,i) In Israel, there are seven species in four genera.Six species are riparian: Dieckmanniellus chevrieri (Boheman, 1845) [58], D. nitidulus (Gyllenhal, 1838) [59] (both widely distributed in the Palaearctic region), one species of Nanomimus, and three species of Nanophyes (still not identified).All are associated with Lythrum spp.The distribution of these species corresponds to the distribution of Lythrum, on the banks of streams and ponds and at the edges of swamps, although the majority of species are found in the north of the country.They occur mainly in the Hula Valley, around the Sea of Galilee, on the Golan Heights, in the upper part of the Jordan Valley, and in the Northern Coastal Plain (particularly in the 'Akko Valley), although two species of Nanophyes occur in the northern part of the Central Coastal Plain (Berekhat Ya'ar), and Dieckmanniellus sp. and Nanomimus sp. are found along the Yarqon River and around Tel Aviv.The third species of Nanophyes is known from three specimens collected only on the bank of Nahal haQibbuzim in the Bet She'an Valley (central part of the Jordan Valley) (Figure 1e).
Biology: All the aforementioned species live, feed, and develop on Lythrum (Lythraceae), predominantly Lythrum salicaria L., the most common Lythrum species in Israel (Figures 1e and 2c).Some of the species were collected from several localities in the Hula Valley on Lythrum junceum Banks and Sol.Dieckmanniellus spp.and Nanophyes spp.develop in inflorescences.Nanomimus sp.develops in the stem, but unlike the European species, no stem galls have been found to date.Adults are found in March-September, but mainly in July-August, when the plants are verdant and blooming.CURCULIONIDAE Latreille, 1802 [60] The majority of the Recent weevils belong in this cosmopolitan family; which comprises over 51,000 described species [1].In Israel, it is represented by approximately 800-900 species in 16 subfamilies [4] and unpublished data, 24 of them aquatic, semi-aquatic, or riparian.
Bagoinae C. G. Thomson, 1859 [61] Bagoini C. G. Thomson, 1859 [61] A group of unclear status within Curculionidae, but distinct and clearly monophyletic; it comprises about 300 described species (nearly half of them in the Palaearctic region, with no species known from Central or South America) in four closely-related genera [2,62].The members of Bagoini are predominantly aquatic or nearly aquatic, mainly monophagous (very rarely oligophagous) on aquatic or riparian Angiospermae (Alismatales and Poales), although some are soil-dwellers; some of the species are flightless and some are able to fly; most species are able to swim, possessing morphological adaptations for swimming and breathing in the water [2,36,62,63].Although Bodenheimer collected a few Bagous specimens, he did not include them in his first list of Israeli weevils [64]; the first time Bagous sp. was mentioned in the literature from Israel was by Dimentman et al. [18].Five species have been recorded from Israel to date [36,45], and five are recorded here for the first time, all 10 species in the genus Bagous.Bagous Germar, 1817 [65] Comprises three subgenera in Israel: Macropelmus Dejean, 1821 [66] with eight species and Bagous (s.str.) and Parabagous Schilsky, 1907 [67] with a single species each [62].This genus, known to be nearly completely aquatic, is represented in Israel by a composition of five clearly aquatic species, one species (probably extinct) either aquatic or semi-aquatic, three soil-dwellers, and one with unclear habits.Pic, 1904 [68] (Figure 7a, Figure 8a and Figure 9a) Distribution: South-east Europe (Austria, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Montenegro, Albania, Greece) and south-west Asia (Armenia, Turkey, Israel, Iraq, Iran) [36,45].In Israel, in the Hula Valley and in the past in the Sea of Galilee Area, in swamps and vernal ponds.

Bagous (Bagous) bagdatensis
Biology: Probably aquatic.Four specimens from the Hula Nature Reserve in 2010 were collected with pitfall traps placed on the bank of the Hula Lake, which suggests that the weevils spend at least part of their life on the ground.The closely-related European Bagous glabrirostris Herbst, 1795 was recorded from Stratiodes aloides (Hydrocharitaceae) and Ceratophyllum submersum (Ceratophyllaceae).While C. submersum is extremely rare in Israel, its relative Ceratophyllum demersum L. is a common aquatic plant in the Hula Valley (Figure 3c).

Notes:
The specimen from Hulata was probably the source of the record in Dimentman et al. [18].

Bagous (Macropelmus)
argillaceus Gyllenhal, 1836 [69] (Figures 7b, 8b    Distribution: Described from Israel [36].Probably an endemic of the Hula Valley. Biology: Presumably semi-aquatic.It is noted on the labels that the specimens were collected on Cyperus papyrus L. (Cyperaceae) (Figure 3d).It is unclear whether the weevils are associated with this plant, or were just collected in the thicket of papyrus characterizing the Hula swamp.My numerous attempts to re-collect this species on C. papyrus or surrounding vegetation in the Hula failed.

Note:
To date the species is known only from the single series, resulting from a single collecting event.
Five specimens were sent by F.S. Bodenheimer to the British Museum in London for identification and became types 50 years later, and 10 specimens remained in Bodenheimer's collection, later incorporated in the SMNHTAU collection.B. lyali has not been collected since, despite my numerous recent atttempts.I suspect the species has become extinct after the drainage of the Hula Valley; however, I do not give up hope that it will be rediscovered, as happened with the Hula painted frog Latonia nigriventer [15,74].
Bagous (Macropelmus) mingrelicus Tournier, 1874 [75] (Figures 7d, 8d and 9b) Caldara and O'Brien [36] noted that the mesothoracical wings are fully developed, and the weevil is probably able to fly.Therefore, it is possible that it was collected in a light trap in the southern part of the Sea of Galilee.This is a low (200 m b.s.l.), humid area, which was swampy in the past, and has recently undergone almost complete change due to human activities (roads, agriculture, industry, etc.).The ongoing drying of the Sea of Galilee and lowering of its water level have exterminated most of the natural habitats, particularly in its southern more human-populated part, so that it is unclear whether B. septemcostatus still occurs in this area or where to look for it.Distribution: Central and Southern Europe, Turkey, Syria [36,45].First record for Israel.The closest previous record is from central Syria (Homs) [70], more than 300 km north of the recent locality.

Bagous
In Israel it is found exclusively in Berekhat Ya'ar (=Forest Pool) (Figure 4a), the seasonal winter pool and swamp south of Hadera, the last remnant of the swamp belt stretching along the coast until the drainage in the 1930s.Most of the specimens were collected by sweeping and beating the water plants, six specimens were collected in pitfall traps placed close to the water, three specimens were observed on 15.iii.2018 in the evening, feeding on leaves of B. umbellatus (Figure 4b).Distribution: Described from Lebanon [36].First record for Israel.In Israel it appears to be widespread throughout the Mediterranean zone from the Lebanese border in the north to at least the south-west slopes of the Judean Hills.
Biology: Geophilic, lives in soil under leaf litter in the Mediterranean oakwoodland and shrubland (batha).Most of the specimens were collected with pitfall traps or by soil sifting.Hosts unknown.Adults active in January-April.
Notes: This enigmatic species was described from a single female from Lebanon (precise locality unknown), supposedly deposited in the Schilsky Collection in the Museum der Naturkunde für Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany, but was not found there by Caldara and O'Brien [36], who published a translation of its original description from German into English.Its photographs and the schematic drawing of its aedeagus are published here for the first time.Brachycerinae Billberg, 1820 [42] Tribe Erirhinini Schoenherr, 1825 [82] Echinocnemus Schoenherr, 1843 [83] An aquatic genus with twelve species in the Palaearctic region [45], and above 100 species in Afrotropical, Oriental, and Australasian regions [37,84].Two extant and two fossil species were recorded from Israel.The fossil species are from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian, 89.8-93.9Ma) deposits in the southern Arava Valley (in Qetura and Gerofit, respectively): Echinocnemus qetura Grachev, 2008, and E. gerofiticus Grachev, 2008 [85] (Figure 13b), both known only from a single right elytron.In the Turonian this area mainly comprised mangroves and coastal marshes on the shore of the ancient Tethys Sea [86,87].The southern part of the Arava Valley is currently an extreme desert with sparce and irregular precipitation and very limited water sources, comprising springs and fastdrying vernal winter pools, making the finding of any aquatic or semi-aquatic species there very unlikely.
The extant species, Echinocnemus reitteri and E. sahlbergi, were only collected in 1904 and have not been collected since.Two additional Echinocnemus species occur in Egypt: E. aegyptiacus Desbrochers des Loges and E. tibialis Tournier [45,88], the latter species recorded from the Mediterranean zone-Kirdasa (near Cairo, lower Nile Valley) [88], an environment quite similar to the Mediterranean coast of Israel, where it coexists together with E. reitteri.I assume that they could occur in Israel, at least in the past.
Based on the data on the recent taxa, one can assume that the biology of the extinct species was quite similar to that of the extant Echinocnemus, feeding and developing on the semi-aquatic Poaceae (e.g., Oryza) in the Palaearctic, Afrotropical, and Oriental regions and on the aquatic fern Marsilea Brachycerinae Billberg, 1820 [42] Tribe Erirhinini Schoenherr, 1825 [82] Echinocnemus Schoenherr, 1843 [83] An aquatic genus with twelve species in the Palaearctic region [45], and above 100 species in Afrotropical, Oriental, and Australasian regions [37,84].Two extant and two fossil species were recorded from Israel.The fossil species are from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian, 89.8-93.9Ma) deposits in the southern Arava Valley (in Qetura and Gerofit, respectively): Echinocnemus qetura Grachev, 2008, and E. gerofiticus Grachev, 2008 [85] (Figure 13b), both known only from a single right elytron.In the Turonian this area mainly comprised mangroves and coastal marshes on the shore of the ancient Tethys Sea [86,87].The southern part of the Arava Valley is currently an extreme desert with sparce and irregular precipitation and very limited water sources, comprising springs and fast-drying vernal winter pools, making the finding of any aquatic or semi-aquatic species there very unlikely.
The extant species, Echinocnemus reitteri and E. sahlbergi, were only collected in 1904 and have not been collected since.Two additional Echinocnemus species occur in Egypt: E. aegyptiacus Desbrochers des Loges and E. tibialis Tournier [45,88], the latter species recorded from the Mediterranean zone-Kirdasa (near Cairo, lower Nile Valley) [88], an environment quite similar to the Mediterranean coast of Israel, where it coexists together with E. reitteri.I assume that they could occur in Israel, at least in the past.
Biology: Aquatic.Host plant unknown.According to Sahlberg [93] was collected at February.Notes: John Sahlberg and his son Unio collected 19 (!) specimens of what they considered E. sahlbergi on the clay bottom of agricultural water bodies (irrigation canals of rice fields?) close to Wadi el Miserara (=Nahal Ayalon) near Sarona, the German Templer agricultural colony [93].This area is now in the center of Tel Aviv megapolis, Nahal Ayalon is diverted to a new bottom and enclosed in the artificial channel up to its entrance into the Yarqon River, and its old bottom is occupied by the Ayalon Highway, the major intracity transpostation artery of the Gush Dan (Tel Aviv megapolis), including multi-lane highway and a multi-track railway.The only specimen that I studied clearly belongs to Echinocnemus reitteri according to the original description.I assume that the collected series of Echinocnemus included specimens of two species.
No additional specimens of E. reitteri were collected since.The species is either extinct or extremely rare.Its extinction is clearly as a result of the habitat loss.Schilsky, 1911 [81] (Figure 13b) Material examined: No material is deposited in SMNHTAU.According to the original description [81], the type series comprised four specimens, two granted to Schilsky by Sahlberg, and two remained with Sahlberg.
Biology: Aquatic.Host plant unknown.According to Sahlberg [93] was collected in February.
Notes: This species was overlooked since its description and was not mentioned in any catalog or publication, apart to Sahlberg [93] for more than 100 years.The validity of this species should be proven either by finding the type specimens or by collecting new material.E. sahlbergi was never re-collected since its description, its habitat (assumabely swamps or vernal ponds in the Central Coastal Plain) is largerly disappeared, therefore I assume that this species is either extinct or extremely rare.

Picia Tournier, 1895 [102]
A completely aquatic genus.Comprises three species in the Palaearctic region, distributed mainly in its eremic part (East Mediterranean, Middle East, Middle Asia) [45,84].Picia sinuatocollis Faust feeds and develops on rice Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae), adults feed on the underwater parts of In Israel the distribution of Icaris sparganii is restricted to the Ga'ash winter pool (38.5 m 2 ), a vernal pond north of Tel Aviv, wedged between Kibbutz Ga'ash and the coastal highway (Rt.2), one of the most overcrowded roads in Israel (Figure 4f).However, the host plant is common along the Northern and Central Coastal Plain, in the Yizre'el and Jordan Valleys and on the Golan Heights.

Picia Tournier, 1895 [102]
A completely aquatic genus.Comprises three species in the Palaearctic region, distributed mainly in its eremic part (East Mediterranean, Middle East, Middle Asia) [45,84].Picia sinuatocollis Faust feeds and develops on rice Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae), adults feed on the underwater parts of plants and remain for prolonged periods under water, larvae live inside roots and breathe the air from the aeriferous plant structures.After water drainage they feed on the roots externally.Pupation occurs in the soil pupal chamber [88,89,103].P. sinuatocollis causes serious damage to rice and is considered a severe pest of rice in Middle Asia.In Israel, Picia is represented by a single species, originally described from the northern part of Israel.
Distribution: East-Mediterranean (Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Israel) [45,84].Described from Israel.In Israel found in the winter vernal pools along the Central Coastal Plain.Biology: Aquatic.Host plant unknown.The specimens from Berekhat Ya'ar (Figure 4a) in May 2003 were collected together with Icaris sparganii.The larvae of Picia sinuatocollis Faust, 1885 (recorded under its junior synonym alfierii Pic) in Egypt feed on rice roots in rice swamps [87], which might suggest the same or similar habits in P. syriaca.Adults active in February-May.
Notes: Picia syriaca was recorded by Sahlberg [93] as Hydronomus sinuaticollis Faust; he collected 19 specimens in the Sarona German Templer agricultural colony, which is today one of the neighborhoods in the center of the Tel Aviv megapolis.I studied two specimens deposited in ZSMU.
The first specimen of P. syriaca I had ever seen was brought to me alive from Berekhat Ya'ar by Prof. Avital Gasith in April 2002.I was fascinated by its swimming abilities-it swam easily and elegantly in a glass jar, where it was photographed by Amikam Shoob, the then photographer of the Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University (Figure 4d,e).Planning to photograph it swimming the next day, I covered the jar with a lid with a metal mesh window.Next morning, I found that somebody had removed the lid and the weevil had disappeared, proving-alas-that it was able to fly.

Arthrostenus fullo
Recorded from Israel by Friedman [4].In Israel was common in the Hula Valley (until the drainage of the Hula Lake in the 1950s) and in the swamps along the Mediterranean coast, but has not been re-collected since the 1970s.This either suggests a strong decrease in the population size or even an extinction of this species in Israel, mainly due to loss of the appropriate biotope.

Notes:
The male of A. fullo possesses a peculiar moustache comprising long woolly setae on its prorostrum, while the female lacks this character (Figure 11d,e).
The specimens collected by Ze'ev Shoham, an amateur moth researcher, were collected in light traps, and these are also the most recent collected specimens.Light trapping in the Hula Valley and the wetlands of the Northern Coastal Plain (e.g., 'En Afeq Nature Reserve, 'En Nimfit Nature Reserve (Figure 4c), 'Akko swamp) might therefore reveal the existence of the remaining population of A. fullo.
Tanysphyrini Gistel, 1848 [49] Stenopelmus Schoenherr, 1835 [108] A Nearctic genus comprising three aquatic species distributed in USA, Central and South America, one of them introduced occasionally into Europe and Japan and deliberately into South Africa, associated with the water ferns Azolla (Salviniaceae) [45,91].In Israel, it is represented by a single species, probably introduced occasionally with an ornamental Azolla.Gyllenhal, 1835 [95] (Figures 10d,e and 13c Distribution: Nearctic.It was occasionally introduced with ornamental Azolla in Western Europe, Japan and Israel [109,110] and deliberately introduced into southern Africa for biocontrol of Azolla [91,111].In Israel collected with pitfall traps only in 2010.The escape of Azolla from an aquatic plants farm into Berekhat Ya'ar in 2010 was recorded by Dufour-Dror [112], and could be the source of a specimen collected there.The reason for the appearance of S. rufinasus in the Central Negev desert, at the bottom of the upper Nahal Qarqash, opposite the entrance to Midreshet Sede Boqer, an extremely dry place lacking any natural or artificial water body, is completely unclear.However, there is a nursery in Midreshet Sede Boqer, coincidentally named Mishtelet Qarqash (Karkash Nursery, https://www.karkash.com/),which could be a sourse of Azolla.It is unclear whether the weevil has become established in Israel or has disappeared.

Biology: Aquatic.
Monophagous on Azolla spp.(e.g., Azolla filiculoides, A. caroliniana) (Salviniaceae) [70,91].Molytinae Schoenherr, 1823 [43] Amalactini Lacordaire, 1863 [113] Aorus Schoenherr, 1835 [108] An Afro-Oriental genus comprising eight species [30,37,114].The larvae of Aorus were recorded burrowing in the stems of Cyperus and Scirpus (Cyperaceae) and Pennisetum (Poaceae), and adults feeding on grasses [30].Marshall [114] reported the mass appearance of adults of A. ferrugineus Boheman on ears of rice in Vietnam.In Israel, Aorus is represented by an African species, and is the northernmost point of its distribution.Brancsik, 1898 [115] (Figures 10g, 11h,i and 13c) Distribution: Afrotropical (Senegal, Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia) [114].In the Palaearctic region recorded only from Israel [37], although not collected since the 1950s, and therefore considered extinct [4].All specimens in the SMNHTAU come from the warm and humid swamps of the Hula Valley, the northernmost tip of the Rift Valley.I found an unlabeled specimen of A. anthracinus in the private collection of the late Dov Berkovitch in Kibbutz Ma'agan Mikha'el.I was able to talk to Mr Berkovitch a couple of years before he passed, but he was not able to recall collecting this specimen while nevertheless insisting that his collection was mainly from the surroundings of Ma'agan Mikha'el, including the Kabara swamp, recently drained.Therefore, I assume that this specimen might have been collected in the Kabara swamp, indicating its occurrence also in the coastal swamps.

Aorus anthracinus
Biology: Most of the specimens were collected on Cyperus papyrus L. (Cyperaceae) (Figure 3d), which is most likely its host.This corresponds well with the knowledge on the other species of Aorus [114].The 3rd tarsal segment of A. anthracinus has wide round lobes, pilose beneath, suggesting it climbs on plants better than it swims, the body is completely glabrous, devoid of any scales or therefore I assume it is semi-aquatic.Conoderinae Schoenherr, 1833 [116] This subfamily is distributed worldwide except the polar regions, comprising 7571 species in 940 genera [117].
Note: R. pericarpius occurs in Israel at the southernmost border of its distribution.Only five specimens were collected by sweeping during the last 45 years, while six specimens were collected in pitfall traps during one collecting event.I assume that R. pericarpius is not as rare as it might appear to be, but is either nocturnal (avoiding high temperatures during the daytime) or lives on low, creeping plants along the water edge, which are difficult to sweep (or both).
Diversity 2018, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 31 of 48 Distribution: Holarctic (excluding North Africa) [45,118].First record for Israel and for the Middle East.In Israel collected rarely and locally on the banks of mountain streams (Panyas, Yehudiyya, 'En haShofet) and Berekhat Ya'ar vernal pond.The localities have little in common, making it unclear which is its preferred microhabitat.Biology: Presumably semi-aquatic.On Rumex spp., Polygonum spp., Rheum rhabarbarum L. (Polygonaceae) [118].Host in Israel unknown.Adults active in February-April.Note: R. pericarpius occurs in Israel at the southernmost border of its distribution.Only five specimens were collected by sweeping during the last 45 years, while six specimens were collected in pitfall traps during one collecting event.I assume that R. pericarpius is not as rare as it might appear to be, but is either nocturnal (avoiding high temperatures during the daytime) or lives on low, creeping plants along the water edge, which are difficult to sweep (or both).2e), first record of the host plant.Adults active in April-July, but mainly in May.
Tychius bicolor C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863 [127] (Figures 14g,i Distribution: Mediterranean [45,128].In Israel occurs mainly in the Hula Valley, but also around the Sea of Galilee and along the Coastal Plain, at least in the past reaching its southern part.On the banks of Nehar haYarden (=Jordan River) and its tributaries (Figures 1f and 2c) and in the coastal swamps (Figure 4c).T. bicolor occurs in Israel within its normal range of distribution.
Entiminae Schoenherr, 1823 [43] Entiminae comprises about 1370 genera with above 12,000 species, distributed worldwide, including sub-Antarctic regions [130].Larvae usually develop in soil, on the plant roots, adults feed on green parts of plants.Entiminae are mostly polyphagous or wide-oligophagous, associated with dicotyledons, monocotyledons, gymnosperms and even ferns, but an enormous number of species are associated with Fabaceae [130].Sitonini Gistel, 1848 [49] This tribe is distributed in Holarctic realm, South Africa, Madagascar and south-east Asia, associated with Fabaceae and Mimosaceae [37,131].Twenty-three species in four genera are recorded for Israel [132].
Sitona Germar, 1817 [65] Sixteen species are recorded from Israel in this genus, all associated with wild or cultivated Fabaceae [132].
Sitona lividipes Fåhraeus, 1840 [133] (Figure 12g,i Distribution: Syria, Israel, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt [45,64].In Israel occurs throughout the country, except the desert areas, in swamps and on the banks of springs and vernal ponds, corresponding to the distribution of the host plant (Figure 4f,h).
Biology: Semi-aquatic or riparian.Feeds exceptionally on Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem.& Schult.(Cyperaceae) (Figure 4h).There is a clear correspondence between the occurence of the plant and the adult weevils, although it is unclear whether the larvae also prefer E. palustris.First host record.Adults active in March-July, but they are commonly found on the host plant only in March-April, later they occur under stones or in soil, at least during the daytime, when numerous pairs are in copula.
Lixus Fabricius, 1801 [135] The genus comprises 175 species in the Palaearctic region [45].Thirteen species are recorded for Israel [45], although there are at least ten additional species (Friedman, unpublished data).Mostly associated with Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, and Chenopodiaceae.Most of these occur in Mediterranean, steppe or desert habitats and are not associated with water.
Lixus (Eulixus) iridis Olivier, 1807 [136] (Figures 12f,k [45].First record for Israel.In Israel found in humid biotopes: on the banks of streams, swamps, and ponds, in deep shady ravines.All specimens that I collected personally, or those whose collectors I was able to interview or to trace their collecting sites, which comprise the majority of the examined specimens, were collected on water plants above the water or as close as possible to the water.Biology: Riparian.On Anthriscus silvestris L., Peucedanum palustre (L.) Moench, Angelica, Berula, Chaerophyllum, Cicuta, Conium, Heracleum, Levisticum, Oenanthe, Selinum, Sium, Pastinaca (Apiaceae) [137].Larvae develop in stem [138,139].In Israel the host remains unknown despite the relative commonness of the species.Adults are active in April-August.

Discussion
Israel is, on the one hand, a small country situated on the southern arid margin of the Palaearctic region; while on the other hand constituting a crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa [140].This unique geographical position strongly affects its faunistic composition.Forty-one hygrophilous species are recorded here from Israel, including two fossil species.Among the extant 39 species, ten are aquatic, five are semi-aquatic, and 20 species are riparian.While three species, Bagous libanicus, B. septemcostatus and B. ruber, are geophilous, not necessarily associated either with water or wet habitats, they are also listed here as being part of the predominantly aquatic genus Bagous and as being active in wet soil in the winter only.
The extant hygrophilous weevil fauna of Israel (excluding the fossil species) is distinctly Palaearctic, comprising 36 Palaearctic, one Holarctic, one Afrotropical, and one introduced Nearctic species.Half of the Palaearctic species ( 16) have a fairly wide distribution throughout the Palaearctic region (three wide Palaearctic, six west Palaearctic and seven circum-Mediterranean), and half are restricted to the arid warm areas of the Mediterranean, Near East, and Middle Asia.Most of these species occur at the southernmost point of their distribution.The only Afrotropical species, Aorus anthracinus, is, in contrast, at its northernmost distributional point, and is probably a relic from the distant epoch when the Jordan Valley was still connected directly to the rest of the Rift Valley (its African part) by a chain of freshwater or brackish water bodies, presenting a vector of introduction of tropical species from sub-Saharan Africa, similar to the introduction of numerous plant and animal species into Israel [10,14,16,140,141].The Nearctic Stenopelmus rufinasus appeared in 2010 in two completely different places in Israel.It is unclear whether this was a single invasional event or the species was established in Israel -no additional specimens have been collected since.Two species are probably endemic: Bagous lyali is an endemic of the Hula swamp and Echinocnemus sahlbergi is an endemic of the Central Coastal Plain.Both these endemic species are either extinct or very rare and have not been re-collected for many years.Bagous libanicus, described from a single specimen from Lebanon, is widely distributed throughout the less arid and more temperate parts of Israel, being to date an endemic of the Levant.I assume that it is widely distributed also in Syria and maybe also reaches Turkey, but this can only be proven following additional collecting efforts (sifting and collecting in pitfall traps).
Most Israeli hygrophilous weevils have a restricted distribution within the country, which is, of course, prescribed by their association with water sources.Many occur only in the humid upper Jordan Valley (Hula Valley (Figure 3a-d) and the Sea of Galilee Area) and/or in the Northern and Central Coastal Plain, where small areas of the primeval wetlands still exist.However, there are some species restricted to a single locality, such as Bagous bagdatensis, B. lyali, and Aorus anthracinus, known only from the Hula swamp; Bagous validus, restricted to the Berekhat Ya'ar winter pool (Figure 4a); and Icaris sparganii, which occurs only in the small (38.5 m 2 ) Ga'ash winter pool (Figure 4f).
The riparian weevil species in Israel can be roughly divided into those associated only with their riparian host plants (Nanophyiinae, Gymnetron spp., Tanymecus musculus); and those restricted to the riparian belt by the abiotic factors (humidity, temperature, etc.), while their host plants have a wider distribution (Squamapion delagrangei, Tychius spp., Lixus iridis, Sitona lividipes).
Most of the riparian species are common and appear in large numbers on their host plants, at least in some localities, whereas the aquatic and semi-aquatic weevils are comparatively rarely collected, usually as singletons or in short series.This does not necessarily mean, however, that they are rare.Many of these species are probably nocturnal, with diurnal collecting revealing individual specimens only.This is probably the case, for example, with Bagous bagdatensis and Rhinoncus pericarpius, collected several times in pitfalls, probably at night.B. validus and I. sparganii were predominantly collected in the evening.However, most of the localities in which aquatic weevils occur are nature reserves (e.g., Hula, Berekhat Ya'ar, Ga'ash, 'En Afeq), in which all activities are forbidden at night and I was therefore unable to validate my speculation.The collecting at night on the banks of the Jordan River near where it flows into the Sea of Galilee (Park haYarden) resulted in mass collecting of Rhinoncus perpendicularius, Squamapion delagrangei, Tychius bicolor, and T. meliloti, but no other hygrophilous weevils were found.
Compared to the Palaearctic fauna, the Israeli fauna is poor in aquatic species, which can be explained by the aridity of the climate.Many of the aquatic and semi-aquatic taxa widely distributed and common in the Palaearctic are lacking in Israel, e.g., erirhinin genera Grypus Germar, Notaris Germar, Tanysphyrus Germar, Thryogenes Bedel, Tournotaris Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal [7,45].The conoderin tribe Phytobiini, richest in the hygrophilous taxa, commonly represented in the West Palaearctic by the genera Eubrychius C. G. Thomson, Neophytobius Wagner, Pelenomus C. G. Thomson, Phytobius Schoenherr, Rhinoncus Schoenherr, and Tapinotus Schoenherr [7,45], is represented in Israel solely by Rhinoncus, with two species, both quite restricted in their distribution.The predominantly aquatic species-rich genus Bagous with ca.300 described species [2], is represented in Israel by ten species.This number is probably higher than might be expected in an arid country like Israel, but it is remarkable that, of these ten species, three are geophilous, not associated with wetlands, and two are semi-aquatic.
The degradation and loss of the wetland biotopes as a consequence of human activity distinctly threaten the hygrophilous weevils.Five of them have already reached the red line of endangerment: Aorus anthracinus, Arthrostenus fullo, and Echinocnemus reitteri; and the endemic Bagous lyali and Echinocnemus sahlbergi have become either extinct or extremely rare as a result of drainage of the Hula swamp and extermination of the wetland habitats throughout the Coastal Plain.Additional efforts are required to confirm their status.Because the Hula Nature Reserve, which includes the remnants of the Hula swamp, is overly protected, this makes insect collecting there very difficult.I nonetheless do not give up hope of re-discovering these species in the Hula, being inspired by the rediscovery of the Hula painted frog Latonia nigriventer (Mendelssohn and Steinitz) (Amphibia: Alytidae) endemic to the Hula Valley, which had not been collected since 1955, was declared as extinct in 1996, but was since occasionally re-discovered in 2011 [15,74].
Additional hygrophilous weevil species might also occur in Israel.The genus Echinocnemus has two additional representatives in Egypt [45,88], inhabiting biotopes resembling those of the Coastal    Names of the geographic regions of Israel.
1. Upper Galilee  Names of the geographic regions of Israel (Figure 17).

Diversity 2018 ,
10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 23 of 48who published a translation of its original description from German into English.Its photographs and the schematic drawing of its aedeagus are published here for the first time.

Diversity 2018 ,
10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 25 of 48subspecies leads me to the conclusion that either the subdivision into subspecies is erroneous or I. sparganii comprise a single widely distributed species with some local variation.Consequently, a revision of the Palaearctic Icaris is urgently needed.
Plain of Israel.Grypus equiseti Fabricius is a widely-distributed Palaearctic species, associated with Equisetum spp.(Pteridophyta: Equisetaceae).Two species of Equisetum occur in Israel: E. telmateia Ehrh. in the northern Hula Valley, on the banks of Nahal Senir, Nahal Dan, and Nahal Qoren (Figure 16a-c); and E. ramosissimum Desf. in the Hula Valley, Upper Galilee, Coastal Plain, and Samarian Hills (where it is severely grazed by goats and sheep), on the banks of the streams (Figure 16d,e).Numerous unidentified aquatic weevils were observed in Saluqiyya Springs ('Eden Springs) near Qazrin, Golan Heights, in May 2017 (Liron Goren, pers.comm.);unfortunately, I have been unable to date to check this interesting record.Additional hygrophilous weevil species might also occur in Israel.The genus Echinocnemus ha o additional representatives in Egypt [45,88], inhabiting biotopes resembling those of the Coast ain of Israel.Grypus equiseti Fabricius is a widely-distributed Palaearctic species, associated wit uisetum spp.(Pteridophyta: Equisetaceae).Two species of Equisetum occur in Israel: E. telmate rh. in the northern Hula Valley, on the banks of Nahal Senir, Nahal Dan, and Nahal Qoren (Figu a-c); and E. ramosissimum Desf. in the Hula Valley, Upper Galilee, Coastal Plain, and Samaria ills (where it is severely grazed by goats and sheep), on the banks of the streams (Figure 16d,e umerous unidentified aquatic weevils were observed in Saluqiyya Springs ('Eden Springs) ne zrin, Golan Heights, in May 2017 (Liron Goren, pers.comm.);unfortunately, I have been unab date to check this interesting record.
[77]es of the Judean Hills, most of them recently dry or used for agriculture or cultivated and visited by many tourists, and therefore their flora and fauna strongly degraded.Aquatic.No data on host plants are available.The collecting label of a single specimen of B. septemcostatus lacks the name of the locality, probably because the collector did not have an opportunity to label it himself.The late lepidopterist Stanislaw Bleszynski, a specialist of Crambidae (Lepidoptera), was killed in a road accident in 1969[77]andFreidberg (pers.comm.).In 1968 he spent nearly an entire year in Israel, studying the Israeli Crambidae fauna, collecting mainly in light traps.Some of the insects that he collected (mainly moths) are deposited in SMNHTAU, most of them have remained unlabeled and kept separately until recently.It was thus clear that at the beginning of March 1968, he was collecting around the southern Examined: 5 exx.ISRAEL: Golan Hights: Yehudiyya Forest Nature Reserve [Qusbiye], 28.iv.1974,D. Furth (1 female); and O'Brien [36] from the Southern Coastal Plain (Miqwe Yisrael Agricultural School [Mikve Israel], 1931, F. S. Bodenheimer (2 exx., BMNH)) and Judean Hills (Yerushalayim [Jerusalem], Reitter (1 exx, HNHM)).The record from Yerushalayim by Reitter does not really note the existence of B. mingrelicus in the city (750-800 m a.s.l., arid surrounding), but probably refers to one of the numerous springs on the western Biology: Notes: part of the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret (settlement), 4.iii.1968,Tel Qazir, 5.iii.1968,Teverya, 7.iii.1968).
[36]45]ranean (Spain, Greece, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel) and south-west Asia (Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia)[36,45].The name Wadi Ghuzze refers to the lower part of Nahal Besor, one of the largest brooks in the southern part of Israel, stretching for approximately 80 km from the Boqer plateau to the Mediterranean coast.Therefore, the only record from Israel is either from the Southern Coastal Plain or the Northern Negev.Ramat Dalton, 21.ii.2007, S. Pilosof (1 male).Europe, Siberia, Russian Far East, Georgia, Turkey[36,45].In Israel a single specimen was found in a vernal pond.First record from Israel, apparently the southernmost border of its distribution.Aquatic.In Europe reared from the stems of Ranunculus repens L. (Ranunculaceae) and collected on Ranunculus spp.andPotamogeton spp.(P.lucensL.,P. natans L., P. crispus L.) (Potamogetonaceae)[36].Twenty-one species of Ranunculus and eight species of Potamogeton occur in Israel; the aquatic Ranunculus constantinopolitanus (DC.)D'Urv., R. peltatus Schrank, R. scandicinus (Boiss.)P.H. Davis, Potamogeton nodosus Poir.and P. pectinatus L. occur in the the Upper Galilee and can be potential hosts.