Veliidae

Family of true bugs

Riffle bugs

Temporal range: Tithonian–Present

PreꞒ

Microvelia macgregori
Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Arthropoda
Class:  | Insecta
Order:  | Hemiptera
Suborder:  | Heteroptera
Superfamily:  | Gerroidea
Family:  | Veliidae
Amyot & Serville, 1843
Genera

* Husseyella
* Microvelia
* Paravelia
* Perittopus
* Platyvelia
* Rhagovelia
* Steinovelia
* Trochopus
* Velia

Veliidae is a family of gregarious predatory insects in the suborder Heteroptera. They are commonly known as riffle bugs, small water striders, or broad-shouldered water striders because the segment immediately behind the head is wider than the rest of the abdomen. The genus Rhagovelia is also referred to as a ripple bug.

Veliidae have a specialized body plan that allows them to walk on water and are neuston. Gerridae is another closely related group that is also neuston and both are in the superfamily Gerroidea. Veliidae are smaller however, between 1.5 and 6 mm (0.059 and 0.236 in). They can be found on ponds, near lake shores, and in rivers worldwide. Some species can also be found on plants near water, in salt water or in mud flats.

## Life cycle[edit]

Like all Heteroptera, the Veliidae go through an egg, nymph and adult stage. They have four or five nymphal instars.[1] Both the adults and nymphs live together gregariously, in loose communities and can often be found in large groups. Eggs are usually laid underwater, attached to the stream bed, rocks or plant material and held together by a gelatinous substance. In most species females lay under 30 eggs. Nymphs are very similar to adults, but have one segmented tarsus on mid and hind leg as opposed to the adults' two. Some species prefer rapids or riffles in streams but many prefer calmer water.[2]

## Distribution[edit]

Veliidae is the largest gerromorphan family and has almost 1173 species and 66 genera.[3] The present distribution of these species points to two centers of origin: one in the Indo-Malayan region and another on the shores of the Caribbean Sea.[4] The geographical distance between these points is probably due to continental drift. And now they are present across all continents (except Antarctica).

## Description[edit]

Veliidae are very similar to Gerridae. The most consistent characteristic used to separate these two families are internal genitalia differences, however external cues are usually sufficient to tell the families apart.

A general description is as follows: an oval to elongate body covered with hydrofuge hairs. Wings can be present or absent; when present the wings range from well devolved to vestigial. The four segmented antennae is longer than the head and readily visible. The antennae is non-aristate. The eyes are usually large, but there are no ocelli.[5]

Males and females can be differentiated by the fore tibiae. Males have smaller tibiae with a grasping comb, as opposed to the larger plain female tibiae.[6]

## Water walking[edit]

Veliidae can walk on water because they take advantage of the high surface tension of water and have hydrophobic legs that distribute their weight across more water.

Although Gerridae typically have longer legs, Veliidae also have legs that spread out the weight over a relatively large area. Thousands of hydrofugal hairs also coat the entire body, mitigating potential problems incurred by water contact: air bubbles, trapped among the tiny hairs if the insect is submerged, lift the insect towards the surface again.

Velia rivulorum

## References[edit]

1. ^ Cheng, Lanna; Fernando, C. H. (1971). "Canadian Science Publishing". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 49 (4): 435–442. doi:10.1139/z71-067.
2. ^ Henry, Thomas J. (2009), "Biodiversity of Heteroptera", Insect Biodiversity, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 223–263, doi:10.1002/9781444308211.ch10, ISBN 9781444308211
3. ^ "Veliidae on ITIS".
4. ^ "Water-striders (Hemiptera: Gerridae, Veliidae, etc.)" (PDF). escholarship.org. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
5. ^ Herson, John (2015-05-01), "Labouring families in the Famine's aftermath, 1852 onwards", Divergent paths, Manchester University Press, pp. 133–165, doi:10.7228/manchester/9780719090639.003.0006, ISBN 9780719090639
6. ^ Moreira, F.F.F.; Nessimian, J.L.; Rúdio, J.A.; Salles, F.F. (2010). "New species and new records of Veliidae from Espírito Santo State and adjacent Minas Gerais State, Brazil, with notes on nomenclature (Insecta: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha)". Journal of Natural History. 44 (45–46): 2761–2801. Bibcode:2010JNatH..44.2761M. doi:10.1080/00222933.2010.512423. S2CID 84489928.

* Tree of Life
* Fauna Europaea
* Marine Insects

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Veliidae.

Wikispecies has information related to Veliidae.

* Image

* v
* t
* e

Extant Hemiptera families

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Arthropoda
* Class: Insecta
* Subclass: Pterygota
* Infraclass: Neoptera
* Superorder: Paraneoptera

Suborder Auchenorrhyncha

| Cicadomorpha|

| Cercopoidea
(froghoppers)|

* Aphrophoridae
* Cercopidae
* Clastopteridae
* Epipygidae
* Machaerotidae

|

Cicadoidea
(cicadas)|

* Cicadidae
* Tettigarctidae (hairy cicadas)

Membracoidea|

* Aetalionidae
* Cicadellidae (leafhoppers)
* Melizoderidae
* Membracidae (typical treehoppers, thorn bugs)
* Myerslopiidae

Fulgoromorpha
(planthoppers)|

| Fulgoroidea|

* Acanaloniidae
* Achilidae
* Achilixiidae
* Cixiidae
* Delphacidae
* Derbidae
* Dictyopharidae
* Eurybrachidae
* Flatidae
* Fulgoridae (lanternflies)
* Gengidae
* Hypochthonellidae
* Issidae
* Kinnaridae
* Lophopidae
* Meenoplidae
* Nogodinidae
* Ricaniidae
* Tettigometridae
* Tropiduchidae

|

Suborder Sternorrhyncha

| Aleyrodoidea|

* Aleyrodidae (whiteflies)

|

Aphidoidea
(aphids)|

* Aphididae

Coccoidea
(scale insects)|

* Aclerdidae
* Asterolecaniidae (pit scales)
* Beesoniidae (beesoniids)
* Carayonemidae (carayonemids)
* Cerococcidae (ornate pit scales)
* Coccidae (soft scales)
* Conchaspididae
* Dactylopiidae (cochineals)
* Diaspididae (armored scales)
* Eriococcidae (felt scales)
* Halimococcidae (pupillarial palm scales)
* Kermesidae
* Kerriidae (lac scales)
* Lecanodiaspididae (false pit scales)
* Margarodidae (cottony cushion scales, giant coccids, ground pearls)
* Micrococcidae (Mediterranean scales)
* Monophlebidae (giant scales)
* Ortheziidae (ensign scales)
* Phenacoleachiidae (phenacoleachiids)
* Phoenicococcidae (palm scales)
* Pseudococcidae (mealybugs)
* Putoidae (giant mealybugs)
* Stictococcidae (stictococcids)

Phylloxeroidea|

* Adelgidae (woolly conifer aphids)
* Phylloxeridae (phylloxerans)

Psylloidea|

* Aphalaridae
* Calophyidae
* Carsidaridae
* Homotomidae
* Phacopteronidae
* Psyllidae (jumping plant lice)
* Triozidae

Suborder Heteroptera (with Coleorrhyncha)

| Dipsocoromorpha|

* Ceratocombidae
* Dipsocoridae
* Hypsipterygidae
* Schizopteridae
* Stemmocryptidae

|

Enicocephalomorpha|

| Enicocephaloidea|

* Aenictopecheidae
* Enicocephalidae (unique-headed bugs, gnat bugs)

|

Gerromorpha
(semiaquatic bugs)|

| Gerroidea|

* Gerridae (water striders)
* Hermatobatidae
* Veliidae (riffle bugs)

|

Hebroidea|

* Hebridae (velvet water bugs)

Hydrometroidea|

* Hydrometridae (marsh treaders or water measurers)
* Macroveliidae
* Paraphrynoveliidae

Mesovelioidea
(water treaders)|

* Madeoveliidae
* Mesoveliidae

| Leptopodomorpha|

* Saldidae (shore bugs)
* Leptopodidae (spiny shore bugs)
* Omaniidae
* Aepophilidae

|

Nepomorpha
(true water bugs)|

| Corixoidea|

* Corixidae (water boatmen)

|

Nepoidea|

* Belostomatidae (giant water bugs)
* Nepidae (water scorpions, needle bugs)

Ochteroidea|

* Gelastocoridae (toad bugs)
* Ochteridae (velvety shore bugs)

Aphelocheiroidea|

* Aphelocheiridae
* Potamocoridae

Naucoroidea|

* Naucoridae (creeping water bugs)

Notonectoidea|

* Notonectidae (backswimmers)

Pleoidea|

* Helotrephidae
* Pleidae (pygmy backswimmers)

| Peloridiomorpha
(Coleorrhyncha)|

* Peloridiidae

|

Cimicomorpha|

| Cimicoidea|

* Anthocoridae (minute pirate bugs or flower bugs)
* Cimicidae (bed bugs, bat bugs)
* Curaliidae (Curalium cronini)
* Joppeicidae
* Lasiochilidae
* Lyctocoridae
* Medocostidae
* Microphysidae
* Miridae (plant bugs, leaf bugs, grass bugs)
* Nabidae (damsel bugs)
* Pachynomidae
* Plokiophilidae
* Polyctenidae (old world bat bugs)
* Reduviidae (assassin bugs, wheel bugs, thread-legged bugs)
* Thaumastocoridae (royal palm bugs)
* Tingidae (lace bugs)
* Velocipedidae

|

Pentatomomorpha|

| Aradoidea|

* Aradidae (flat bugs)
* Termitaphididae (termite bugs)

|

Pentatomoidea
(shield bugs)|

* Urostylididae
* Acanthosomatidae (shield bugs)
* Tessaratomidae (giant shield bugs and relatives)
* Dinidoridae
* Cydnidae (burrowing bugs)
* Thaumastellidae
* Parastrachiidae
* Thyreocoridae (includes ebony bugs)
* Lestoniidae
* Phloeidae
* Scutelleridae (jewel bugs or metallic shield bugs)
* Plataspidae
* Pentatomidae (stink bugs)
* Canopidae
* Megarididae

Coreoidea|

* Alydidae (broad-headed bugs)
* Coreidae (squash bugs, leaf-footed bugs)
* Hyocephalidae
* Rhopalidae (scentless plant bugs)
* Stenocephalidae

Lygaeoidea|

* Artheneidae
* Berytidae (stilt bugs)
* Blissidae
* Colobathristidae
* Cryptorhamphidae
* Cymidae
* Geocoridae
* Henicocoridae
* Heterogastridae
* Idiostolidae
* Lygaeidae (milkweed bugs, true seed bugs)
* Malcidae
* Ninidae
* Oxycarenidae
* Pachygronthidae
* Rhyparochromidae (atypical seed bugs)
* Piesmatidae (ash-grey leaf bugs)

Pyrrhocoroidea|

* Pyrrhocoridae (red bugs, cotton stainers)
* Largidae (bordered plant bugs)

Note: Coleorrhyncha are a different clade from Heteroptera. Heteroptera with Coleorrhyncha were referred to as Prosorrhyncha.

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q1262432
* Wikispecies: Veliidae
* ADW: Veliidae
* AFD: VELIIDAE
* BioLib: 17080
* BOLD: 198439
* BugGuide: 26281
* CoL: HSH
* EoL: 644
* EPPO: 1VELIF
* Fauna Europaea: 12816
* Fauna Europaea (new): 6645ca8b-a22d-4dc2-b19b-81850c87dc71
* Fossilworks: 208188
* GBIF: 7900
* iNaturalist: 119047
* IRMNG: 103179
* ITIS: 103885
* NBN: NBNSYS0000040171
* NCBI: 95677
* NZOR: 4ffaf432-a0e9-4ed8-91c8-74eb81af3d04
* Plazi: A94D7D64-597C-712A-FF29-3867A8A8FBC3
* WoRMS: 477164

|

Authority control databases: National |

* Israel

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template