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

Genus Mesovelia

adult - Mesovelia Water Treader - Mesovelia Mesovelia - Mesovelia mulsanti Hemiptera - Mesovelia Beetle sp? Glides on the water's surface. - Mesovelia Female, Mesovelia mulsanti? - Mesovelia mulsanti - female Mesovelia sp.  - Mesovelia - male Mesoveliidae; Mesovelia - Mesovelia - female
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)
Family Mesoveliidae (Water Treaders)
Genus Mesovelia
Explanation of Names
Mesovelia Mulsant & Rey 1852
Numbers
4 spp. in our area (2 widespread), ~25 total(1)(2)
Size
our spp. 1.8-4 mm(3)
Identification
key to spp. in(2)
Range
across NA(4)(1)
Habitat
lentic; on vascular hydrophytes(4)
1 sp. occurs in mangroves(2)
Food
prey on dead and injured arthropods; can be cannibalistic(4)
Works Cited
1.Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs of Canada and the Continental United States
Thomas J. Henry, Richard C. Froeschner. 1988. Brill Academic Publishers.
2.Two new records of aquatic Hemiptera (Belostomatidae, Mesoveliidae) from southern Florida, with keys to the genera Belostoma Lat
Pintar, M.R. 2023. Aquatic Insects.
3.Identification manual for the aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera of Florida
Epler J.H. 2006. FL Dept. Env. Prot., Tallahassee, FL. 186 pp.
4.Aquatic Insects of North America
R. W. Merritt, K. W. Cummins, M.B. Berg. 2008. Kendall/Hunt.