#paranecta

[jenfoundabug]

Backswimmer in the subgenus Paranecta that I found hanging out in my pool. Backswimmers (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) are a family of predatory aquatic bugs. Unlike water boatmen, which swim right (dorsal) side up, backswimmers swim on, you guessed it, their backs. These insects can attack prey as large as tadpoles and have a needle-like proboscis that can result in a pretty painful bite. They are not only good swimmers, but also flyers, which allows for easy dispersal between small ponds and other bodies of water (like my pool). Their abdomen is covered in lots of tiny hair-like structures for trapping air against the body. This allows the insect to breath for a time underwater and keep its body dry.