Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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Arthropods (Arthropoda)
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True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera)
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Water Treaders (Mesoveliidae)
Family Mesoveliidae - Water Treaders
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia (Animals)
Phylum
Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class
Insecta (Insects)
Order
Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder
Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Family
Mesoveliidae (Water Treaders)
Numbers
3 species in 1 genus (
Mesovelia
) in North America listed at
nearctica.com
Size
body length 5 mm or less
(
1
)
Identification
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. Ocelli present.Tarsi 3-segmented, 1st segment very small.
(
1
)
Habitat
Found on aquatic vegetation or running on the surface of the water. Fairly common around ponds.
(
1
)
Food
They feed on small aquatic organisms found on surface of the water.
(
1
)
Print References
"Peterson's Field Guide to Insects" p. 124-125.
(
1
)
Internet References
photos of
winged
and
wingless
adults (U. of Minnesota)
live adult and nymph image
plus other info (U. of Michigan)
pinned adult image
of
Mesovelia mulsanti
(Insects of Cedar Creek, U. of Minnesota)
Works Cited
1.
A Field Guide to Insects
By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson
Contributed by
Tony DiTerlizzi
on 9 December, 2004 - 9:07pm
Additional contributions by
Robin McLeod
Last updated 15 May, 2007 - 8:56am
