First records of the creeping water bug, Ambrysus mormon Montandon (Heteroptera: Naucoridae) from North Dakota

The range of the creeping water bug, Ambrysus mormon Montandon (Heteroptera: Naucoridae) is extended into southwestern and south-central North Dakota. A total of 71 individuals was collected in Bowman, Grant, and Slope Counties during 1999, 2000, and 2003. These records mark the northeastern edge of the species distribution in North America. To date, the aquatic and semiaquatic true bug fauna (Insecta: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha, Leptopodomorpha) of North Dakota remains little known. Few publications exist pertaining to the state's fauna, with the earliest known list being that of Uhler (1878) based on collections throughout "Dakota". Additionally, Hussey (1922) provided new records for North Dakota. The only known treatment of the aquatic true bug fauna for North Dakota is an unpublished master's thesis by Jacobson (1969), which was based on a review of the literature. The most recent checklist including this fauna is that of Henry and Froeschner (1988). In recent years, biotic survey work targeting the aquatic insect fauna of North Dakota has been initiated by several workers. This has resulted in numerous range extensions and baseline ecology data useful in water quality and bioassessment programs. As part of these research outcomes, Ambrysus mormon is newly reported here, based on the independent collections of both authors made throughout North Dakota. © 2005 Kansas Entomological Society.