Broad-Shouldered Water Strider vs Box Bug
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Broad-Shouldered Water Strider | Box Bug |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Microvelia americana | Gonocerus acuteangulatus |
| Order | Hemiptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Veliidae | Coreidae |
| Size | 1.5-2.5 mm | 11-14 mm |
| Habitat | Ponds & Lakes | Heathland |
| Diet | Omnivores | Fruit Feeders |
| Regions | North America, Central America, South America | Europe |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Broad-Shouldered Water Strider
A tiny water strider relative that walks on the surface of ponds and puddles. It is widespread across the Americas on still freshwater.
Did You Know?
At barely 2 mm long, it is so small that it can walk on water trapped in a single hoofprint.
Box Bug
A slender, reddish-brown coreid bug historically restricted to box trees in southern England but now expanding its range northward. It feeds on developing fruits and seeds of box and hawthorn.
Did You Know?
Once Britain's rarest shieldbug confined to a single box woodland, it has expanded dramatically northward since 2000 due to warming temperatures.