Overview
A taxonomic superfamily.
Photos
Taxonomy
The Superfamily Gerroidea is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Family (9): Gerridae · Hebridae · Hermatobatidae · Hydrometridae · Macroveliidae · Madeoveliidae · Mesoveliidae · Paraphrynoveliidae · Veliidae
Families
Gerridae
The family Gerridae contains insects commonly known as water striders, water bugs, magic bugs, pond skaters, skaters, skimmers, water scooters, water skaters, water skeeters, water skimmers or water skippers. These are insects which rely on surface tension to walk on top of water. They live on the surface of ponds, slow streams, marshes, and other quiet waters. They can move very quickly, up to 1.5 m/s. [more]
Hebridae
Velvet water bugs are members of the family Hebridae. They are semiaquatic insects that live among moss or ponds with an abundance of vegetation, in which they prey on small arthropods. Velvet water bugs are the smallest of the , and have an appearance of tiny veliids. Hebrids sometimes move across water surfaces, but walk or run rather than skate or scull on the surface. [more]
Hermatobatidae
Hydrometridae
Hydrometridae is a family of insects, known as marsh treaders or water measurers. They have a characteristic elongated head and body which makes them resemble a yardstick for measuring the water surface. [more]
Macroveliidae
Madeoveliidae
Mesoveliidae
Paraphrynoveliidae
Veliidae
Veliidae is a of predatory insects in the suborder Heteroptera. They are commonly known as riffle bugs,smaller water striders or broad-shouldered water striders because the segment immediately behind the head is wider than the rest of the abdomen, unlike in the typical water striders (Gerridae), close relatives which are also in superfamily Gerrioidea. Unlike some Gerridae, riffle bugs are small, typically about 4.5 mm. [more]
At least 35 species and subspecies belong to the Family Veliidae.
More info about the Family Veliidae may be found here.
Sources
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