Notonecta glauca
Range
They are found all over North America and Europe.
Habitat
They live in ponds and slow-moving streams.
Body Traits
They are small, brownish-green insects with large, reddish eyes. Like all insects, they have six legs. Its front two pair of legs are short and the rear pair are long with hairs at the end. They swim upside-down and look like a rowboat. They carry a bubble of air on their belly which is covered with hairs to keep water off the tiny holes (spiracles) that it breathes through.
Habits
They swim on their back with their legs above the water. They use their front legs to grab prey and their back legs for paddling. They bite.
Diet
They eat insects and small tadpoles.
Reproduction
They lay their eggs on the stems of water plants.
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Notonectidae
Genus: Notonecta
Species: N. glauca