Notonecta glauca: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the notonecta glauca lives – recorded in 11 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Notonecta glauca
Group	Grasshoppers, bugs & other insects
Found in	11 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Insect
Order	Hemiptera
Family	Notonectidae

Where does the notonecta glauca live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the notonecta glauca in 11 countries and territories across Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the notonecta glauca?

The notonecta glauca (Notonecta glauca) is an insect in the order Hemiptera and the family Notonectidae, genus Notonecta. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the notonecta glauca

Notonecta glauca, also known as the greater water-boatman or common backswimmer, is a species of aquatic insect in the family Notonectidae. This species is found in large parts of Europe, North Africa, and east through Asia to Siberia and China. In much of its range it is the most common backswimmer species. It is also the most widespread and abundant of the four British water-boatmen. Notonecta glauca are Hemiptera (true bug) predators, that are approximately 13–16 mm in length. Females have a larger body size compared to males. These water insects swim and rest on their back (hence their common name "backswimmer" or "water boatman") and are found under the water surface. Notonecta glauca supports itself under the water surface by using their front legs and mid legs and the back end of its abdomen and rest them on the water surface; They are able to stay under the water surface by water tension, also known as the air-water interface (surface tension). They use the hind legs as oars; these legs are fringed with hair and, when at rest, are extended laterally like a pair of sculls in a boat. Notonecta glauca will either wait for its prey to pass by or will swim and actively hunt its prey. When the weather is warm, usually in the late summer and autumn, they will fly between ponds. Notonecta glauca reproduce in the spring.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Notonecta glauca (revision 1371423757), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q266370 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).