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Veliidae Family: Broad-Shouldered Water Striders

Microvelia sp.

a.

b.

• Common Name: Broad-Shouldered Water Striders
• Identifying Features: The pronotum (the segment found immediately behind their head) is broader than their abdomen
• Size of Mature Adult: 4.5mm
• Habitat: surface vegetation in slow moving water
• Other Information: Very fast, must be chilled to view under a stereoscope.
• Figures:

  a. Dorsal view of adult

  b. Ventral view of adult