order
Coleoptera
“Adult Beetles”
Coleoptera
“Larval Beetles”
Diptera
“True Flies”
Ephemeroptera
“Mayflies”
Hemiptera
“True Bugs”
Lepidoptera
“Aquatic Caterpillars, Snout Moths”
Megaloptera
“Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies”
Odonata
“Dragonflies and Damselflies”
Plecoptera
“Stoneflies”
Trichoptera
“Caddisflies”
family
Veliidae
genus
Rhagovelia
“Riffle Bugs”
Genus Overview
Usually when we think of striders, we picture insects skimming across the surface of still, open water. However, members of the genus Rhagovelia are different; they are sometimes nicknamed “Riffle Bugs” as they tend to show habitat preference towards surface water of stream riffles, or just downstream of them. There are about 10 species in North America. Members of this genus, like the rest of their family, are piercing predators and sometimes scavengers. They wait at the surface, feeding on dead or living small invertebrates that float or swim by.
Characteristics
POLLUTION TOLERANCE
Mid-Atlantic: up to 6
FEEDING HABITS
Piercer / Predator
MOVEMENT
Skater
DISTRIBUTION
Widespread (east of the Rocky Mtns.)
HABITAT
Lentic-limnetic
Lotic-erosional
Lotic-erosional
Diagnostic Characters
Order
Hemelytra
Needle-like Beak
Family
Anteapical Claws
Antennae Longer Than Head
Hind Femora Short
+ Expanded Character List
Order:
Adults: With or without wings. If wings present, forewings typically leathery or hard basally and translucent and flexible apically. Nymphs: With or without wing pads. Segmented legs present. Mandibles hidden within needle-like beak in adults and nymphs.
Family:
Head with visible gula (suborder Heteroptera). Antennae longer than head, positioned anterior to eyes, clearly visible from dorsal side. Dorsum of head typically with median longitudinal sulcus or smooth stripe. At least front tarsi with ante-apical claws (claws protruding from leg before apex). Mesothoracic legs about equidistant between front and hind legs, if NOT, then middle tarsi with feather-like or blade-like structures. Hind femora short (shorter than abdomen, or just barely longer). Laterally, metasternum with pair of scent grooves anterior to hind coxae.
Genus:
Mesothoracic tarsi deeply cleft, with flattened leaf-like claws, and plumose swimming hairs fanning from base of cleft. Hind tarsi each 2- or 3-segmented.
Dorsal
Ventral