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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Broad-shouldered Water Striders (Veliidae) » Microvelia » Microvelia pulchella
Photo#104769
Broad-shouldered Water Strider - Microvelia pulchella
Copyright © 2007 tom murray

Broad-shouldered Water Strider - Microvelia pulchella
Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
April 21, 2007
Size: ~1.5mm
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Contributed by tom murray on 22 April, 2007 - 9:23pm
Last updated 24 April, 2007 - 5:42am

Everything sounds good
for the M. pulchella. Patrick, thanks for researching these tiny bugs!
… tom murray, 24 April, 2007 - 5:42am login or register to post comments

Appears to be Microvelia, likely pulchella
Slater, p. 215 (1) has a key to genera and several illustrations:
1-middle tarsi depply cleft, often with plumose hairs--->Rhagovelia

2-middle tarsi not deeply cleft and lacking a plume of hair-->2

2-Fore tarsi one-segmented; first antennal segment not longer than segment four--->Microvelia

Fig. 438 Microvelia pulchella looks like your photo and he describes it:
"This is a very small (1.5-2 mm) dark brown species that is velvety on the head and pronotum. It is marked with yellow at the base of the first antennal segment, on the front of the pronotum, the middle of the abdomen, and the basal half of the coxae. Apterous forms are the most common. This is an abundant insect on ponds covered with duckweed...throughout the United States."

Genus looks to be correct, and I think it is actually that species--everything seems to match. Oh, here is a photo--also looks close, and your previous photo does as well:
… Cotinis, 24 April, 2007 - 2:34am login or register to post comments

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