First records of Ranatra Fabricius (Insecta: Hemiptera: Nepidae) in northeastern Brazil, with description of the male of R. oliveiracesari De Carlo, 1946.

The Northeast region of Brazil, especially the state of Maranhão, remains poorly explored concerning its local fauna. This transition zone certainly has great diversity due to the complexity of the biomes. However, there are significant gaps in knowledge, for species taxonomy (Linnean) and distribution (Wallacean) in this area. Here, we aim to contribute to the understanding of water scorpions (Nepidae) in the region. The genus Ranatra includes bugs that predominantly inhabit the margins of lentic or lotic ecosystems close to leaves, roots, and macrophytes. We report four species of Ranatra from the state of Maranhão, which represent the first records for the Northeast Region of Brazil: Ranatra lanei De Carlo 1946; R. magna Kuitert 1949; R. oliveiracesari De Carlo 1946d signoreti Montandon 1905. The description of the male of R. oliveiracesari is presented. Also, pictures of the diagnostic characters and distribution maps for the four species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]