Code QH569999

Gerromorph bugs that live on the surface of still water, usually where there is abundant emergent or floating vegetation. Some northern species inhabit the marine intertidal zone.

Veliidae are small to medium sized bugs with elongate-oval bodies, often dark coloured, and with or without wings. The antennae are long and prominent, the legs not exceptionally long. The head is rounded and narrower than the pronotum. The eyes are spherical, set above and behind the antennal insertions. The pronotum may be rounded or else is diamond-shaped and projects backward over the meso- and meta-notum. The claws of all legs are inserted pre-apically on the last tarsal segment.

Reference:

Carver, M., Gross, G.F. and Woodward, T.E. (1991) Hemiptera. pp. 429-509. In: CSIRO, Insects of Australia. Volume 1. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria.