Ochteridae

Definition

A small family of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) commonly known as velvety shore bugs, comprising about 80 species in eight genera worldwide. These small (4.5–9 mm) insects inhabit shorelines of various water bodies, with greatest diversity in tropical regions. They resemble the shore bugs (Saldidae) in habitus but differ in having velvety body vestiture and reduced wings in some species, and are placed in the superfamily Ochteroidea.

Etymology

From the type genus Ochterus (Greek ochteros, 'rump' or 'buttock', referring to body shape) + -idae (family suffix).

Example

Ochterus marginatus, a velvety shore bug, forages on moist sandy banks of streams in Southeast Asia, preying on small invertebrates and organic detritus.

Synonyms

• velvety shore bugs

Related Terms

• Heteroptera
• Saldidae
• Gerromorpha
• Ochteroidea
• Shore bugs
• Hemiptera

Usage Notes

Sometimes confused with Saldidae (shore bugs) due to similar habitat and appearance; distinguished by the velvety pubescence and different wing venation. The family is relatively understudied compared to other shore-dwelling heteropteran families. Some authors place Ochteridae in the infraorder Leptopodomorpha with Saldidae, though this placement has been debated.