| Water
Boatman
These bugs often look like a beetle with oars! They
are similar to Backswimmers, but they swim the right
way up.
What they look like:
Waterboatmen have unique legs that are easy to spot.
Being active swimmers, their middle and hind legs have
a fringe of swimming hairs and the front legs are short
and scoop-like. They have a wide and rounded head with
prominent eyes and short antennae. The rostrum
(beak-like mouth part) is most often short, and some
species may look beetle-like if the structure
of the legs is ignored.
Size:
From 1.5 mm to 15 mm long.
Where they live:
Waterboatmen live in still and slow-flowing ponds
among
the vegetation.
What they eat:
Waterboatmen feed mainly on insect larvae in the bottom
ooze (or sediment). They are known to feed on a combination
of dead plant and animal matter (detritus –
det-try-tuss) and mosquito larvae.
Pollution
tolerance. Very tolerant, rating 2.
If the conditions get really bad, Waterboatmen can
leave the pond easily by flying to another. |
What’s interesting about
Water Boatmen?
|
