Checklist, taxonomy and distribution of the Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) of the Americas.

The genus Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 is distributed worldwide, especially in the Tropics, and contains 184 species in the Americas, which are listed and included in complexes or grades, and in 18 species groups. Geographical distributions and altitudinal ranges are presented for each species. A new synonym is proposed, and some biogeographical aspects of the genus are analyzed, such as its distinct tropical distribution (97% of the known American species), and the narrow altitudinal ranges of the salina, tayloriella and cali groups. South America is determined to be the geographical area with the highest diversity of species (77% of the species richness of the Americas), and Brazil as the most biodiverse country.