Water boatmen

Code QH649999

A family of predacious bugs which swim actively in the water and feed mainly on insect larvae in the bottom ooze. To this end, the foreleg tarsi are modified into hairy, scoop-like or cylindrical palae ; the midlegs are normal and are used for clinging to the substrate; the hindlegs are somewhat flattened and with a fringe of swimming hairs. Together, these leg modifications make for easy identification to family level.

Other features of the Corixidae include a wide and rounded head with prominent eyes, the antennae short and not visible from above, the prothorax usually oval and the scutellum small. The rostrum (labium) is most often short, and some species may look a little beetle-like if the structure of the legs is ignored.

The family Corixidae is known from the Jurassic of Europe and Central Asia but now is restricted to New Zealand and the southern half of Australia.

Reference:

Carver, M., Gross, G.F. and Woodward, T.E. (1991) Hemiptera. pp. 429-509. In: CSIRO, Insects of Australia. Volume 1. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria.