Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera)
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Aquatic Bugs (Nepomorpha)
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Notonectoidea
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Backswimmers (Notonectidae)
»
Notonecta
Genus
Notonecta
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia (Animals)
Phylum
Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum
Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class
Insecta (Insects)
Order
Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder
Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Infraorder
Nepomorpha (Aquatic Bugs)
Superfamily
Notonectoidea
Family
Notonectidae (Backswimmers)
Genus
Notonecta
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
world fauna reviewed in
(
1
)
Explanation of Names
Notonecta
Linnaeus 1758
from Greek
noto
'the back' +
necta
'swimmer'
Numbers
17 spp. in 4 subgenera in NA
(
2
)
; 6 in NH
(
3
)
, 5 in MI
(
4
)
, 6 in NC
(
5
)
, 4 in FL
(
6
)
, 9 in TX
(
7
)
Size
8-16 mm
Identification
rather large, common backswimmers; eyes widely separated; middle femur with a pointed spine before distal end
(
8
)
Keys to spp. provided in
(
1
)
(
6
)
(
4
)
(
8
)
Range
widespread
(
2
)
Works Cited
1.
The genus Notonecta of the world (Notonectidae-Hemiptera)
Hungerford, H.B. 1934. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 21(1):5-195.
2.
Aquatic Insects of North America
R. W. Merritt, K. W. Cummins, M.B. Berg. 2008. Kendall/Hunt.
3.
University of New Hampshire Insect and Arachnid Collections
4.
Bright E. (2002-2011) Aquatic Insects of Michigan
5.
NCSU insect collection species inventory database
6.
Identification manual for the aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera of Florida
Epler J.H. 2006. FL Dept. Env. Prot., Tallahassee, FL. 186 pp.
7.
Ziser S.W. (2008-2012) The aquatic invertebrates of Texas
8.
How to Know the True Bugs
Slater, James A., and Baranowski, Richard M. 1978. Wm. C. Brown Company.
Contributed by
A.W. Thomas
on 22 May, 2005 - 8:44am
Additional contributions by
cotinis
,
v belov
Last updated 5 September, 2019 - 6:17pm