Bug FAQMulsant's Water Treader
Mesovelia mulsanti · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Mesoveliidae
Also called: Water treaders
Mulsant's water treader is a tiny water bug about 3 to 4 mm long. It lives on the surface of still freshwater, especially where duckweed or algae float, and can be found in both shade and sun. It is a predator that eats small insects and sometimes surface-dwelling crustaceans.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 3 to 4 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in a range of freshwater habitats, especially standing water with floating plants like duckweed and algae. Occurs in both shaded and unshaded spots.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Feeds on small surface-dwelling invertebrates, mainly insects. May also capture crustaceans that rise to the water surface.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Typically produces three full generations per year, with a possible partial fourth in late autumn. Overwinters only as eggs; nymphs and adults cannot survive freezing temperatures.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its main range extends from southern Canada down to Texas, and it also occurs in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 49 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Louisiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where does this bug live?
It lives on the surface of still freshwater with floating vegetation, in both shade and sun.
Source: Wikipedia
What does it eat?
It preys on small insects and sometimes surface-dwelling crustaceans.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does it have each year?
Usually three full generations, with a possible fourth partial generation in late autumn.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesovelia_mulsanti
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.