Bugs Found in Water

Habitat

• For the most part, water bugs are found in slow-moving bodies of water like streams, ponds and rivers, where they can rest easily on the calm surface of the water. Some water bugs, like water boatmen, can tolerate saltwater as well as freshwater and can be found in estuaries and salt water marshes. Most water bugs spend the majority or entirety of their lives in aquatic habitats, although some, like water boatmen, are capable of flight. Many live and die with the changing seasons, but some, such as the water strider, are capable of surviving the winter by crawling inside plant stems.

Characteristics

• Different species of water bugs have adapted to different types of aquatic life, as is evidenced by their different characteristics. Some water bugs, like water striders, have long legs which suspend them above the surface of the water. Others, like giant water bugs and water boatmen, have broad, flat bodies suited to floating on the surface. The backswimmer is an interesting water bug because it tends to float under the surface of the water. Like water boatmen, it has long oar-like legs that it uses to propel itself through the water.

Diet

• The diet of water bugs varies from one species to another. Some are herbivores, eating mainly algae, and some eat other bugs and aquatic invertebrates. Herbivorous water bugs, like water boatmen, subsist mainly on algae and microorganisms in the water. Omnivorous water bugs, like water striders and backswimmers, eat other insects and insect larvae in addition to algae and plant matter. The water bugs that eat other insects have mouth parts adapted to sucking and piercing, and these parts are especially evident in the giant water bug, which eats minnows and tadpoles in addition to other aquatic insects.

Life Cycle

• Most water bugs go through a similar stage of metamorphosis. They begin in the egg, hatch into nymphs, then grow into adults. During the mating season, the backswimmers attract a mate with a sound made by rubbing its front legs. Water striders communicate by sending ripples across the surface of the water. Once mating has occurred, most species of water bug lay their eggs on leaves or plant stems though some varieties of giant water bug lay the eggs directly onto the back of the male of the species.

Types of Water Bugs

• Some of the most commonly recognized water bugs are the water strider and the water boatman. Water striders resemble the mosquito and have six legs: two short legs and four long legs used to balance on the surface of the water. Water boatmen are characterized by their paddle-like legs and flat bodies that float on the surface of the water. Some water bugs, like the backswimmer, actually swim beneath the surface of the water. Very different from these types of water bugs is the giant water bug which resembles a beetle and, in fact, belongs to the same order as the stink bug. Giant water bugs are predatory insects that prey on smaller water bugs, tadpoles and even frogs.