Is Lethocerus patruelis (Stål, 1855) range expanding westward? A new record for Italy might suggest this trend (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae)

This is the first known record of a male of Lethocerus patruelis (Stål, 1855), a predator giant water-bug, in Italy and the first record in the Basilicata Region, in Southern Italy. The specimen was found in 2015 in Calciano (Matera Province), a small village in a local protected natural area. The possible occurrence of stable populations of the species is discussed. Further investigations are needed to verify if the species is spreading and the possible impacts for northern Mediterranean freshwater habitats.