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Backswimmer

Insects

Backswimmers are a family of water bugs, Notonectidae, that swim upside down, using their long, oar-like hind legs to propel themselves through the water. Found worldwide in ponds and slow-moving water, they are active predators that feed on other insects, tadpoles and small fish, and can deliver a painful bite to humans if handled. Their common name and the family name, from the Greek for back-swimmer, both describe this characteristic inverted swimming posture.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Carnivore 2
System (Realm)
Freshwater 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 3
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Convex dorsum lightly colored without cross striations, front tarsi not scoop shaped, hind legs fringed for swimming 1
Scientific Name
Notonectidae 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Hemiptera, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Backswimmer

In Biome

Freshwater, Biomes
Source Wikipedia: Notonectidae
In the Other Atlases
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Denmark, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Norway, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Sweden, found in there.
  • Also in Geography Atlas: United States, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Notonectidae
  • Introduction
    Notonectidae is a cosmopolitan family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera
  • Introduction [distinguishing-appearance]
    Their dorsum is convex, lightly colored without cross striations. Their front tarsi are not scoop-shaped and their hind legs are fringed for swimming.
  • inhabit still freshwater lakes ponds marshes
  • In Biome: Freshwater, Wikipedia intro: "a human being, actually a stab with their sharp tubular mouthparts (proboscis). They inhabit still freshwater, e.g. lakes, ponds, marshes, and are sometimes fou..."
View the Source
2. Wikidata: Backswimmer
  • Wikidata Q875622, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Wikipedia 'Notonectidae': all predators, attack prey as large as tadpoles and small fish
  • Child Taxon Of: Hemiptera, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
3. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ875622, descriptionView the Source
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