Veliidae

Amyot & Serville, 1843

riffle bugs, small water striders, broad-shouldered water striders, ripple bugs

Genus Guides

Husseyella
Microvelia(small water striders)
Platyvelia(smaller water striders)
Rhagovelia(smaller water striders)
Steinovelia

is a large of predatory true bugs in the suborder Heteroptera, comprising approximately 1173 across 66 . Members are small (1.5–6 mm), surface-dwelling insects that walk on water using surface tension and hydrophobic leg adaptations. They are distinguished from the related family Gerridae by their broader pronotum, smaller size, and internal genitalia differences. The family has a distribution excluding Antarctica, with centers of origin in the Indo-Malayan region and the Caribbean.

Rhagovelia novahispaniae by (c) Matthew Pintar, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matthew Pintar. Used under a CC-BY license.

Platyvelia brachialis by (c) Matthew Pintar, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matthew Pintar. Used under a CC-BY license.

Platyvelia brachialis by (c) jfox16, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by jfox16. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Veliidae: /wɛˈli.aɪ.iː/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

are distinguished from Gerridae primarily by the pronotum (segment immediately behind the ) being distinctly wider than the rest of the , giving a broad-shouldered appearance. They are smaller than Gerridae, measuring 1.5–6 mm in length. External diagnostic features include: oval to elongate body covered with hydrofuge hairs; four-segmented longer than the head and readily visible (non-aristate); large but no ocelli; wings present or absent, ranging from well-developed to ; and sexually dimorphic fore tibiae (males have smaller tibiae with a grasping comb, females have larger plain tibiae). Definitive separation from Gerridae requires examination of internal genitalia.

Images

Habitat

Found on the surface of ponds, lake shores, and rivers worldwide. Some inhabit plants near water, salt water environments, or mud flats. Certain species prefer rapids or riffles in streams, while many occupy calmer water. Members of the Microvelia inhabit nearshore areas of stagnant or slow-flowing fresh water.

Distribution

distribution across all continents except Antarctica. Two centers of origin proposed: the Indo-Malayan region and the shores of the Caribbean Sea. Present in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and various island systems.

Life Cycle

Hemimetabolous development through , nymph, and stages. Four or five nymphal instars occur. Eggs are laid underwater, attached to stream beds, rocks, or plant material, held together by a gelatinous substance; most produce fewer than 30 eggs. Nymphs resemble adults but have one-segmented on mid and hind legs (adults have two-segmented tarsi). Adults and nymphs live together gregariously in loose .

Behavior

Walk on water by exploiting high surface tension and distributing weight across hydrophobic legs with relatively large surface area. Thousands of hydrofuge hairs coat the body, trapping air bubbles if submerged, which lifts the insect back to the surface. and nymphs form loose, gregarious and frequently aggregate in large groups.

Ecological Role

Neustonic occupying the water surface interface. Form part of the surface-dwelling in freshwater .

Similar Taxa

GerridaeGerridae (typical water striders) are larger, have longer legs, and lack the broad pronotum characteristic of ; internal genitalia differ definitively