Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

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Calendar

Upcoming Events

National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Genus Rhagovelia

Representative Images

Water strider nymph? - Rhagovelia obesa Rhagovelia obesa - female Rhagovelia? - Rhagovelia distincta Rhagovelia Rhagovelia varipes - female Rhagovelia varipes - male Rhagovelia becki - male Rhagovelia becki - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Infraorder Gerromorpha (Semiaquatic Bugs)
Superfamily Gerroidea
Family Veliidae (Smaller Water Striders)
Genus Rhagovelia

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Trochopus Carpenter, 1898

Explanation of Names

Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865

Numbers

12 species in US, 1 in se. Canada; ~400 total(1)

Range

worldwide

Remarks

very swift gliders that might be mistaken for flies skimming just above the water. It is not unusual to find more than one species at a collecting site(2); they have the most sophisticated mesotarsal arolium of all the striders(3)

Works Cited

1.Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)
2.Identification manual for the aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera of Florida
Epler J.H. 2006. FL Dept. Env. Prot., Tallahassee, FL. 186 pp.
3.Evolution of the Insects
David Grimaldi and Michael S. Engel. 2005.
Contributed by Brad Barnd on 8 January, 2008 - 12:37pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, v belov, mpintar
Last updated 6 March, 2024 - 11:38am

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