Backswimmer

Description:

Backswimmer swimming on its back. Backswimmer (Notonecta sp.) is an aquatic insect in the order Hemiptera.

Habitat:

Alpine lake.

Notes:

Backswimmers swim on their backs, vigorously paddling with their long, hair-fringed hind legs and attack prey as large as tadpoles and small fish. They can inflict a painful "bite" on a human being (actually, similar to a mosquito "bite", it is a stab with their tubular mouthpart). They inhabit still freshwater, e.g. lakes, ponds, marshes, and are sometimes found in garden ponds. Although primarily aquatic, they can fly well and so can disperse easily to new habitats.