Hobbies And Interests
Egg
Although water boatmen are almost exclusively aquatic insects, mating takes place during flight. After mating, the female water boatman resubmerges to deposit fertilized eggs on the stems of underwater plants. Eggs hatch in seven to 15 days.
Nymph
After hatching, the water boatman nymph will swim to the water's surface for air. Since this insect does not have gills, the nymph will also collect an air bubble and hold it with its legs as it returns underwater. According to Fish BC, the air bubble "does act somewhat like a gill in that it absorbs oxygen from the water allowing the boatman nymph to stay submerged for long periods of time." The wings of the nymph are black, but turn dark brown as it matures.
Adult
Adult water boatmen share the same habitat and behaviors as the nymph. A fully grown water boatman ranges from 3/16 of an inch to 3/8 of an inch in length. They commonly inhabit ponds and freshwater streams where they eat algae and other vegetation. Adult water boatmen are part of the food chain for many fish.