South American Velvet Ant vs Ocean Strider
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | South American Velvet Ant | Ocean Strider |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Traumatomutilla indica | Halobates micans |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Mutillidae | Gerridae |
| Size | 15-22 mm | 4-5 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Beaches & Coastal |
| Diet | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Regions | South America | Tropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
South American Velvet Ant
A large tropical velvet ant with striking black and orange patterns. Despite its species name, it is native to South America and not India.
Did You Know?
Its species name 'indica' was assigned in error and does not reflect its true South American distribution.
Ocean Strider
A remarkable open-ocean water strider that spends its entire life on the surface of tropical seas. It is one of the very few insects adapted to a fully marine existence. It lays eggs on floating debris including feathers and seaweed.
Did You Know?
It is one of the only insects to have colonized the open ocean and can be found thousands of kilometers from the nearest land, surviving storms and wave action.