Backswimmer, (family Notonectidae), any of a group of insects (order Heteroptera) that occur worldwide and are named for their ability to swim on their backs, which are shaped like the keel and …

Sep 3, 2023 · Backswimmers are piercer-predators that feed on a variety of prey, including tiny fish fry, tadpoles, and invertebrates. When comparing backswimmers to other aquatic insects, such as …

Backswimmers swim on their backs, vigorously paddling with their long, hair-fringed hind legs and attack prey as large as tadpoles and small fish. They can inflict a painful "bite" on a human being, …

Aug 9, 2021 · As their name suggests, backswimmers are a family of aquatic insects that swim upside down. This group belongs to the family Notonectidae, nested within the order of true bugs …

Feb 25, 2013 · Backswimmers store air bubbles under their abdomen to breathe while underwater for hours. The name tells you just about everything you need to know about members of the family …

Backswimmers are slender, oval, streamlined water bugs that swim with long, oarlike hind legs that have fine hairs. The back is keeled like the bottom of a boat and lacks narrow parallel lines. The …

Jul 28, 2024 · An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.

The common backswimmer is widespread and common in ponds, ditches and canals across the UK. It can swim upside-down through the water, often near the surface where it grabs insects that have …

This floating insect swims upside-down and is an aquatic predator that may nip people if provoked.

Sometimes confused with water boatmen, backswimmers are aquatic insect predators that feed on small fish, tadpoles, and other insects.