Notonectidae Family


Insect Home Insect Orders Ephemeroptera: Mayflies Odonata: Dragonflies Hemiptera: True Bugs Trichoptera: Caddisflies Lepidoptera: Moths and Butterflies Coleoptera: Beetles Diptera: Flies Index Glossary Links Environmental Interpretive Center	Notonectidae Family: Back Swimmers

	Buenoa margaritacea a. b. c. Notonecta undulata d. e. Notonecta irrorata f.	Buenoa margaritacea Common Name: Back Swimmer Identifying Features: A small hairlined pit on the dorsal side just below the thorax identifies its genus and its pale white wings identifies its species. Time of Year Found: All year Size of Mature Adult: 7mm Habitat: Ponds Other Information: They can hold a bubble of air in their abdominal hairs (figure b.). This genus generally floats hydrostatically in the water with its fore and mid legs pressed against its body; this means that it does not rise or sink when at rest. Figures: a. Ventral view of mature adult b. Ventral view of mature adult with open hairs c. Dorsal view of mature adult Notonecta undulata Common Name: Back Swimmer Identifying Features: The absence of the hair lined pit on the dorsal side just before the thorax identifies its genus; and its white and black wings (with a green tinted body) identifies its species. Time of Year Found: All year Size of Mature Adult: 10mm Habitat: Ponds, lakes, and rivers Other Information: Like Buenoa sp., Notonecta sp. can hold a bubble of air in their abdominal hairs on their ventral side. When at rest, they float to the surface with their fore and mid legs spread apart. Sometimes they are attracted to lights at night, and fly around them. They are aggressive predators, and will eat other samples if placed in the same container. Figures: d. Ventral view of mature adult e. Dorsal view of mature adult Notonecta irrorata Common Name: Back Swimmer Identifying Features: The absence of the hair lined pit on the dorsal side just before the thorax identifies its genus; and the red and black wings identifies its species. Time of Year Found: All year Size of Mature Adult: 10mm Habitat: Ponds, lakes, and rivers Other Information: Like Buenoa sp., Notonecta sp. can hold a bubble of air in their abdominal hairs on their ventral side. When at rest, they float to the surface with their fore and mid legs spread apart. Sometimes they are attracted to lights at night, and fly around them. They are aggressive predators, and will eat other samples if placed in the same container. Figures: f. Dorsal view of mature adult.