Most water striders and other semiaquatic bugs (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha) liv
e on the surface film of freshwater Adults are often flightless and are the
refore not prone to be caught in resin exuded by trees on land and subseque
ntly preserved as amber inclusions. Nevertheless, a small number of gerromo
rpha bugs have so far been reported from amber. The present paper reports o
n six species of Gerromorpha in the Oligocene/Miocene Dominican amber, desc
ribing Brachymetroides atra gen. et sp. n. (Gerridae: Charmatometrinae), Mi
crovelia grimaldii sp.n. and M. electra sp.n. (Veliidae: Microveliinae) and
redescribing Electrobates spinipes Andersen & Poinar (Gerridae: Electrobat
inae), Microvelia polhemi Andersen (Veliidae: Microveliinae), and Halovelia
electrodominica Andersen & Poinar (Veliidae: Haloveliinae). Finally, the p
hylogenetic, palaeobiological, and biogeographic significance of these ambe
r fossils are discussed.