Water striders (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha) live on the surface film of freshwa
ter. Adults are often flightless and therefore not prone to be caught in re
sin exuded by trees on land and subsequently preserved as amber inclusions.
Nevertheless, a small number of gerromorphan bugs have so far been reporte
d from Baltic amber. The present paper reports on eight species of Gerromor
pha in the Eocene Baltic amber, describing Electrogerris kotashevichi gen.
et sp. n. (Gerridae, Gerrinae), Succineogerris larssoni gen. et sp. n. (Ger
ridae, Gerrinae), and Balticovelia weitschati gen, et sp. n. (Veliidae, Vel
iinae) and redescribing Electrovelia baltica Andersen (Veliidae, Veliinae)
and Metrocephala anderseni Popov (Hydrometridae, Hydrometrinae) based upon
additional and better preserved specimens. Finally, the phylogenetic, palae
obiological, and biogeographic significance of these amber fossils are disc
ussed.