Water Boatman Insect: Picture, Sound, Diagram, Bite, Treatment

Water Boatman are insects in the Corixidae family of the order Hemiptera, which also includes other insects such as aphids, leafhoppers and shield bugs. These insects belong to the infraorder Nepomorpha.

Physical Description

Water boatman are a type of water insect that belongs to the family Corixidae. These aquatic insects are found in freshwater, such as ponds, lakes and slow streams. They get their name from their ability to glide on the surface of water. They paddle along beneath the surface using their long, oar-like hind legs in a rowing motion.

• Size: Water boatman come in varying sizes, usually between 5 mm and 15 mm.
• Color: They are usually brownish or dark colored. They often blend with the color of their surroundings to hide themselves from their predators.
• Body Structure: Water boatman are streamlined insects. Their bodies are long and oval (almost bean-shaped) and flattened. This helps them to move smoothly through the water. They have six legs in total. Two of their legs are long and strong, which they use for paddling powerfully through the water, while they walk on the surface of the water with their other four shorter legs.
• Wings: Most species of waterboatmen can fly and do have wings, but more often than not, you will see them swimming around.

I don’t have a photo, but you can easily find one on the internet. Water boatman bugs are usually drawn as if they are rowing through the water of a pond with their front pair of legs and their big, paddle-shaped hind legs sticking out behind them.

Picture and Diagram

• Diagram: It would be best represented with a neat and simple diagram. Similar to this one:

1. Head: The front part of the insect having two compound eyes and antennae.
2. Thorax: The middle part where the legs are attached.
3. Abdomen: The hind body part.
4. Paddle-like Hind Legs: Legs are more developed and adapted for swimming in the water.
5. Smaller Forelegs: Used to walk on land and grip the female during mating.

Sound of Water Boatman

Water boatmen are not noise-making insects like crickets or cicadas. Actually, most species of waterboatmen do not make sounds that we would ever hear, except maybe as a faint vibration in the water during mating and egg-laying. These vibrations, however, are usually sensed by other water bugs rather than heard in the air as sound waves.

Bite and Treatment

Water boatmen pose no real threat to humans, as their bite is not harmful. They may, however, bite if they feel threatened or are mishandled; this is especially true when the boatman is trying to defend itself. The bite is usually minor and feels like a small pinch or pinprick. These insects possess piercing-sucking mouthparts, through which they feed on algae (plural of alga) and small invertebrates.

Symptoms of a human bite include swelling, redness, and pain around the wound; yellow or white fluid draining from the wound; and possible infection.

• Mild redness or mild swelling that develops within minutes of the bite and goes away in an hour or so.
• A small blister with surrounding redness that develops hours to days later, pain and itching at the site of the bite.

Treatment:

1. Wash the Area: Clean the bite site and surrounding area with soap and water.
2. Use Ice Packs: Apply a cold pack, wrapped in a cloth, to the bite location to reduce swelling and numb pain.
3. Use Anti-Itch Creams: To help relieve itching and discomfort, you can apply over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion on the bite.
4. Take Pain Relievers: If you experience pain, swelling or inflammation as a result of a bug bite, an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may help.
5. Monitor for Infection: If the bite becomes more red, swollen, or painful a few days after your child is bitten, it may be infected. Call your provider if you think your child might have an infection.

Habitat and Behavior

Water boatmen are typically found in ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving streams. They are most active during the warmer months when the water temperatures raise. These insects feed on algae and plant material, as well as small invertebrates. They swim at or near the water surface and can also dive below to hide from predators or to search for food.

• Breeding: Water boatmen lay their eggs on submerged vegetation. When these eggs hatch, the larvae that emerge look similar to an adult insect, just much smaller.

Ecological Role

Water boatman are important organisms within aquatic ecosystems. They help in the breakdown of organic materials by consuming algae and other plant-based products. In many instances, they are used as an indicator species to evaluate the overall health of freshwater environments due to their sensitivity to pollution and changes in water quality.

Water Boatman vs. Water Scorpions

Water boatmen are sometimes mistaken for water scorpions (another type of aquatic insect), but they are actually quite different. Both are aquatic, but water scorpions are predatory insects that have very long, spiny legs and a needle-like tail used to catch their prey. Water boatmen, on the other hand, are harmless herbivores or detritivores and lack the physical adaptations necessary to catch large prey.

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