Marine-insect
Guides
Halobates micans
Common Sea Skater
Halobates micans is a wingless marine water strider and the only pelagic insect genus member found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is circumglobal in tropical and subtropical seas, living exclusively at the sea-air interface. Adults measure 3.6–4.5 mm with males larger than females. The species exhibits remarkable adaptations for open ocean life including water-repellent body hairs, UV-absorbent cuticle, and exceptional skating agility. It is the most widespread Halobates species, occurring from approximately 40°N to 40°S in the Atlantic and also present in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Halobates sericeus
Pacific pelagic water strider, Silvery Sea Skater
Halobates sericeus is an oceanic sea skater in the family Gerridae, one of the few insects adapted to life on the open sea. It inhabits pelagic marine environments across the Pacific Ocean and adjacent regions. The species exhibits photoperiod-dependent aggregation behavior, with adults and late-instar larvae forming more frequent and longer-lasting groups under short-day conditions compared to long-day conditions.
Mesovelia polhemusi
Mesovelia polhemusi is a marine water treader (family Mesoveliidae) described from Belize in 1990. It occupies a highly specialized habitat in tidal mangrove forests, an environment where few other aquatic insects occur. The species has been documented in southern Florida, expanding its known range beyond the type locality. It was named in honor of heteropteran specialist John T. Polhemus.
Orygma luctuosum
A small European fly in the family Sepsidae, restricted to coastal wrack zones where larvae develop in decaying seaweed. The species shows a disjunct distribution with populations in northwestern Europe. Adults are active during warmer months.