HEMIPTERA 101 



Family Veliid^; 

 The Broad-shouldered Water-striders 



The Veliidae includes insects which are closely related to the water- 

 striders of the next family. The bodies of these insects are usually 

 stout, oval and broadest across the prothorax. The legs 

 are not extremely long and the second pair is about 

 equidistant from the front and hind pairs except in the 

 genus Rhagovelia (Fig. 160). 



The broad-shouldered water-striders are found both 

 on the banks of streams and ponds and on the surface of 

 the water. The small, plump-bodied species of Micro- Fig. 160. — Rhago- 

 velia are found at the water's edge but run out on the 

 water when disturbed. Those of Rhagovelia which arc larger, run on the 

 surface of rapid streams. 



These water bugs are dimorphic, for both fully winged and short- 

 winged to wingless adults occur in the same species. 



Family Gerrid^e 



The Water-striders 



On the quiet pools of streams or calm waters of ponds one may 

 usually find numbers of rather long-bodied insects with long slender legs, 



skimming about over the surface of the 

 water. These are the true water-striders. 

 The long middle and hind legs are near 

 together and distant from the front legs 

 (Fig. 161). It should be noted that some 

 water-striders have comparatively short 

 oval bodies. 



These insects are predacious and feed 



on other insects which happen to fall in 



fig. 161. - a water-strider. t j ie . wa t er ; they of ten jump from the water 



to capture flies. In the fall, the water-striders hide away beneath the banks 



of the streams or at the bottoms of the pools and there they remain until 



spring. 



There are commonly winged and wingless forms of the same species. 

 Thus these insects are dimorphic. 



Twenty species of water-striders are known from our fauna and those 

 of the genus, Halobates, are deep sea forms for they live on the surface 

 of the ocean, often hundreds of miles from land. 



Family Miridve 



The Leaf-bugs 



This family, formerly known as the Capsidas, is the largest family of 

 the Hemiptera. The species are small or of medium size but they vary 

 greatly in form and markings. The hemelytra are rather characteristic 



