Family Mesoveliidae - Water Treaders

Classification · Other Common Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)

Infraorder Gerromorpha (Semiaquatic Bugs)

Family Mesoveliidae (Water Treaders)

Other Common Names

Pond Threaders, Pondweed Bugs

Numbers

3 spp. in a single genus in our area, ~50 spp. in 12 genera worldwide(1)

Size

our spp. 1.8-4 mm(2), 1.2-4.2 mm worldwide(1)

Identification

winged forms with ocelli, wingless forms without ocelli(2)

Small, slender, usually greenish or yellowish. Only anterior basal part of forewing thickened, clavus membraneous, membrane veinless. Antennae long, slender, 4-segmented. Beak slender, 3-segmented, 3rd segment long. Tarsi 3-segmented, 1st segment very small. (3)

Habitat

on aquatic vegetation or running on water surface; fairly common around ponds(3); almost always present on Lemna mats and on lily pads(2), also in forest leaf litter, damp moss, seeping rock faces(1)

Food

small aquatic organisms found on water surface(3)

Remarks

apparently basal family of the group (fossils known from late Jurassic)(4)

Works Cited

1.	Biodiversity of the Heteroptera By T.J. Henry

2.	Identification manual for the aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera of Florida By John H. Epler

3.	A Field Guide to Insects By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson

4.	Evolution of the Insects By David Grimaldi and Michael S. Engel

Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi on 9 December, 2004 - 9:07pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, v belov
Last updated 11 December, 2011 - 2:55pm

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