Family: Mesoveliidae

Water treaders appear like small, less than 4 mm, water striders. Adults can have wings (macropterous) or not (apterous). Only the genus Mesovelia occurs in NA. They inhabit the water surface of lentic waters where they feed on other surface dwelling invertebrates and insects and those caught in the water film.

References:

Brooks A. R. and L. A. Kelton. 1967. Aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (Hemiptera). Mem. Entomol. Soc. Canada 51: 1-92

Clifford, H.F. 1991. Aquatic Invertebrates of Alberta. University of Alberta Press. Edmonton, Alberta.

Mau, H.E.L., R.G. Foottit, K.G.A. Hamilton and G.G.E. Scudder. 2000. Checklist of the Hemiptera of Canada and Alaska. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, ON.

Polhemus, J.T. 2008. Chapter 15: Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera. In. Merritt, R.W., K.W. Cummins, and M.B. Berg. An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America. Fourth Edition. Kendall/Hunt Publ. Co. Dubuque, Iowa.