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The millennium bug belongs to a new genus of the family Veliidae (small water striders). Bugs from the Veliidae family are often found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and occur on many oceanic islands. Relatives are the only insects to inhabit the surface of the open oceans.

This new genus includes four species, of which three, including the millennium bug, are new to science. These bugs have an interesting adaptation of the tarsi (feet) that enables them to 'glide' across the surface of the water without breaking the surface tension.

The study of the Millennium Bug and its relatives is part of a much larger project that involves the study and identification of thousands of specimens from the Australasian region belonging to the infra-order Gerromorpha, the most diverse group of animals associated with water surfaces.

Libraries and tags

• Entomology  entomology   insects and other arthropods   microscopy