The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, water gliders, water skimmers or puddle flies. Consistent with the classification of the Gerridae as true bugs, gerrids have mouthparts evolved for piercing and sucking, and distinguish themselves by having the unusual ability to walk on water, making them pleuston (surface-living) animals. They are anatomically built to transfer their weight to be able to run on top of the water's surface. As a result, one could likely find water striders present in any pond, river, or lake. Over 1,700 species of gerrids have been described, 10% of them being marine.
Coleorrhyncha or Peloridiomorpha, also known as moss bugs or beetle bugs, are a suborder of Hemiptera and represent an ancient lineage of moss-feeding insects. They show some similarities to the Heteroptera but have been considered distinct. It has a single extant family, the Peloridiidae. They are 2 to 5 millimetres in length, and feed on moss and liverworts. They have wings in some species which are reduced in others but all species are flightless and live in damp moss habitats and are associated with the distribution of Nothofagus trees in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and South America, which all were formerly part of the supercontinent Gondwana.
Aquarius remigis, known as the common water strider, is a species of aquatic bug. It was formerly known as Gerris remigis, but the subgenus Aquarius was elevated to generic rank in 1990 on the basis of phylogenetic analysis. Aquarius remigis is found throughout North America, but is most prevalent in the mid-west of the United States.
Aquarius najas, also known as the river skater, is a European species of water strider. It was formerly known as Gerris najas, but the subgenus Aquarius was elevated to generic rank in 1990 on the basis of phylogenetic analysis.
Tachygerrini is a tribe of water striders containing 21 species in 2 genera. In addition to the two extant genera, Eurygerris and Tachygerris, Andersen included the extinct genus Eurygerris within the Tachygerrini.
Gerrini is a tribe of water striders containing over 160 species in 12 genera.
Gerroidea is a superfamily of semiaquatic bugs in the order Hemiptera. There are at least 3 families and more than 2,000 described species in Gerroidea.
Gerris is a bug genus in the family Gerridae.
Aquarius is a genus of water striders found predominantly in the northern hemisphere. Formerly a subgenus, Aquarius was elevated to generic rank in 1990 on the basis of phylogenetic analysis. These are among the world's largest water striders, with females averaging 12–17 mm (0.47–0.67 in) long and males roughly 10–30% smaller, depending on the exact species. An outlier is A. elongatus where both sexes typically are about 24 mm (0.94 in), roughly the same as certain Cylindrostethus, and second only to Gigantometra gigas.
Hesperotingis fuscata is a species of lace bug in the family Tingidae. It is found in North America.
Acalypta parvula is a species of lace bug in the family Tingidae. It is found in Africa, Europe and Northern Asia, and North America.
Abdastartus is a genus of lace bugs in the family Tingidae. There are about five described species in Abdastartus.
Aidoneus is a genus of lace bugs in the family Tingidae. There is at least one described species in Aidoneus, A. dissimilis.
Tingis is a genus of lace bugs in the family Tingidae. There are at least 130 described species in Tingis.
Acalypta cooleyi, or Cooley's tingid, is a species of lace bug in the family Tingidae. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia, North America, and Southern Asia.
Corythucha marmorata, the chrysanthemum lace bug, is a species of lace bug in the family Tingidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Limnoporus is a genus of water striders in the family Gerridae. There are six extant described species in Limnoporus.
Cantacaderinae is a subfamily of lace bugs in the family Tingidae. There are about 16 genera and at least 90 described species in Cantacaderinae.
Aquarius nebularis is a species of water strider in the family Gerridae. It is found in the eastern United States from New York south to central Florida and west to Louisiana, Arkansas, and Iowa.
