About Mesovelia mulsanti White, 1879
Mesovelia mulsanti, commonly known as Mulsant's water treader, is a species of water treader belonging to the family Mesoveliidae. Adults of this species measure between 3 and 4 mm in length. Its primary distribution range extends from southern Canada in North America down to Texas. It can also be found in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. M. mulsanti lives in a wide range of freshwater habitats, and it especially favors standing water that has dense floating vegetation like duckweed and algae. It can be found in both shaded and unshaded areas. A 1983 to 1986 study done in Union County, Illinois recorded that this species is generally trivoltine, meaning it completes three full generations each year. A partial fourth generation may occasionally develop in late autumn. This species overwinters only in the egg stage; nymphs and adult individuals cannot survive freezing temperatures. In subtropical and tropical locations such as Florida and the Caribbean, M. mulsanti can reproduce throughout the entire year, and often does not enter diapause, because cold seasonal periods do not occur there.
