Scientific name: Mesovelia vittigera (Horvath)

Common name: Water treader

Wingless adult of water bug Mesovelia vittigera (Horvath)

Taxonomy:

Economic importance

Generalist predator.

Hosts

Stem borers, leafhoppers, and planthoppers.

Description

Mesovelia vittigera is pale green. It is larger than Microvelia douglasi atrolineata Bergroth. It appears in two morphs, the winged and unwinged adults. The head is longer than it is wide and is acute frontally. Its eyes are not convergent. The tarsi of the legs have a small basal segment.

In winged species, the membrane on the hemelytron of the front wings has no closed cells and the corium has dark brown thickened veins forming three whitish cells.

Biology and ecology

Mesovelia vittigera is a solitary feeder. Both the adults and nymphs prey on stem borer larvae and hoppers that easily fall onto the water surface. Of the two morphs, the wingless adults are more common.

The predators are usually found in rice fields and rice bunds.

Selected references

Barrion AT, Litsinger JA. 1994. Taxonomy of rice insect pests and their arthropod parasites and predators. In: Biology and management of rice insects. Manila (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. p 13-362. 

Shepard BM, Barrion AT, Litsinger JA. 1987. Helpful insects, spiders, and pathogens. Manila (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. 127 p.