Veliidae
Guides
Husseyella
Husseyella is a genus of small water striders in the family Veliidae, established by Herring in 1955. It belongs to the subfamily Microveliinae, a group of minute aquatic true bugs commonly known as riffle bugs or small water striders. Members of this genus inhabit aquatic environments where they skate on the water surface film. The genus is poorly known, with few documented observations and limited published biological information.
Microvelia
small water striders, riffle bugs
Microvelia is a large genus of small semiaquatic bugs comprising at least 230 described species distributed worldwide. These insects inhabit nearshore areas of stagnant or slow-flowing freshwater, where they move on the water surface using surface tension. The genus exhibits wing dimorphism, with populations containing both fully winged (macropterous) and short-winged (brachypterous) individuals. Several subgenera have been recognized including Austromicrovelia, Barbivelia, Pacificovelia, and Picaultia, based on phylogenetic and morphological analyses.
Microvelia americana
Broad-Shouldered Water Strider
Microvelia americana is a small water strider in the family Veliidae, commonly known as the Broad-Shouldered Water Strider. It inhabits aquatic environments across North America. As a member of the Gerromorpha, it is adapted to life on the water surface, using surface tension to move and forage.
Microvelia beameri
Microvelia beameri is a small water strider in the family Veliidae, described by McKinstry in 1937. The species belongs to a genus characterized by small body size and the ability to skate on water surfaces. Records indicate presence across Caribbean, Middle America, and North America. Very few observations exist in public databases, suggesting either rarity or underreporting due to its minute size.
Microvelia buenoi
smaller water strider
Microvelia buenoi is a small semiaquatic bug in the family Veliidae, commonly known as smaller water striders. The species was described by Drake in 1920 and occurs across a broad transcontinental range spanning Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. Like other members of the genus Microvelia, it inhabits the surface film of freshwater habitats where it moves with characteristic rapid, darting movements. The specific epithet honors entomologist Erika Bueno's family name, though this appears coincidental rather than commemorative.
Microvelia cerifera
Microvelia cerifera is a species of small water strider in the family Veliidae, described by McKinstry in 1937. The species belongs to the genus Microvelia, a diverse group of semiaquatic bugs commonly found on the surface film of freshwater habitats. Like other veliids, it is adapted for life on water surfaces using hydrophobic setae and specialized leg morphology. The species is known from North America.
Microvelia cubana
Microvelia cubana is a small semiaquatic true bug described from Cuba in 1951. As a member of the family Veliidae, it belongs to a group of insects commonly known as small water striders or riffle bugs. The species inhabits freshwater environments in the Caribbean region. Limited published information exists regarding its biology and ecology.
Microvelia signata
Microvelia signata is a small water strider in the family Veliidae, found in aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats across North and Middle America. Like other members of the genus Microvelia, it is adapted for life on the water surface, using surface tension to skate across ponds, streams, and other freshwater bodies. The species was described by Philip Uhler in 1894 and is recognized as a valid taxon in current classifications.
Platyvelia
smaller water striders
Platyvelia is a genus of smaller water striders in the family Veliidae, established by J. Polhemus and D. Polhemus in 1993. The genus contains seven described species distributed in the Americas. These insects are small semiaquatic true bugs that inhabit the surface film of water bodies.
Platyvelia brachialis
smaller water strider
Platyvelia brachialis is a species of small water strider in the family Veliidae, distinguished from larger members of the related family Gerridae by its more compact body form. It inhabits freshwater surface habitats across a broad Neotropical and Nearctic range spanning the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and South America. The species is one of approximately 15 recognized species in the genus Platyvelia.
Rhagovelia
smaller water striders, riffle bugs
Rhagovelia is a large genus of small aquatic bugs in the family Veliidae, with over 390 described species. Members are distinguished by a swimming fan on the distal tarsomere of the middle leg, an adaptation that enables rapid maneuvering on water surfaces. The genus has colonized lotic freshwater systems and coastal marine environments across the Americas, with additional species in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Evolutionary origins trace to gene duplications ('geisha' and 'mother-of-geisha') that created this propelling fan structure, allowing exploitation of faster-flowing and more turbulent streams than relatives lacking this adaptation.
Rhagovelia becki
Rhagovelia becki is a species of small water strider in the family Veliidae, described by Drake and Harris in 1936. Like other members of the genus Rhagovelia, this species is adapted to life on the water surface, utilizing the middle and hind legs for propulsion. The species has been recorded from Middle America and North America, though detailed ecological studies remain limited. It belongs to a diverse genus containing over 100 described species, many of which occupy specialized microhabitats along streams and rivers.
Rhagovelia choreutes
Rhagovelia choreutes is a species of small water strider in the family Veliidae. It belongs to the infraorder Gerromorpha, a group of semiaquatic true bugs adapted to life on the water surface. The species was described by Hussey in 1925. It occurs in running water habitats in parts of North and Central America.
Rhagovelia obesa
riffle bug
Rhagovelia obesa is a small aquatic true bug in the family Veliidae, commonly known as a riffle bug or smaller water strider. It inhabits flowing water environments where it uses a unique swimming plume to move underwater. The species has an unusual life history among aquatic Hemiptera, with four nymphal instars rather than five and eggs as the overwintering stage. It has been successfully reared in laboratory conditions from first instar to adult.
Rhagovelia oriander
Broad-shouldered Water Strider
Rhagovelia oriander is a species of small water strider in the family Veliidae, first described by Parshley in 1922. It belongs to a genus characterized by modified middle legs used for propulsion on water surfaces. The common name "Broad-shouldered Water Strider" refers to a distinctive morphological feature. Like other veliids, it inhabits the surface film of freshwater systems.
Rhagovelia rivale
smaller water strider
Rhagovelia rivale is a species of water strider in the family Veliidae, first described by Torre-Bueno in 1924. It belongs to the genus Rhagovelia, a group of smaller water striders characterized by their ability to skate on water surfaces using modified legs. The species is documented from North America, though specific details about its ecology and distribution within that range remain limited in available sources.