Waterbug or backswimmer (Notonectidae spp)

About 5mm long; attracted to lights near midnight; adjacent to national park in very dry conditions.
Yet to find genus or species.

comments (5)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Bizarre! Posted 9 years ago

Vodkaman

Lion

Slightly conflicting information:

The keel shaped cross section is a backswimmer feature, boatmen are flatter.
Backswimmers breathe through hairs at the rear, I see a hint of hair in the pic.
Boatmen are smaller, but this is no guarantee, could be an early instar.
The light attraction is a definite boatman feature.

There is a documented difference with the front legs, but they are not visible in the pic.

Boatman swims belly down, backswimmer swims belly up.

This private website gives a good description of the differences, but I am wary of privateers. But he does stop at family name, which is a good sign.
http://bugeric.blogspot.co.id/2014/06/backswimmer-or-water-boatman.html

This site has a pic of the same bug. Calls it family Corixidae, which is boatman. But it is Flickr, which is not reliable at all.
http://flickrhivemind.net/flickr_hvmnd.cgi?method=GET&page=3&photo_number=50&tag_mode=all&search_type=Tags&originput=corixidae&sorting=Interestingness&photo_type=250&noform=t&search_domain=Tags&sort=Interestingness&textinput=corixidae

Here is a more reliable source, but very general information with no detail:
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/identification/animals/freshwater-invertebrates/guide/jointed-legs/insects-and-springtails/bugs/water-boatman2

This site has a genus list with pics, but is USA based.
http://www.waterbugkey.vcsu.edu/php/genuslist.php?idnum=9&o=Hemiptera&f=Corixidae

Personally, I think it is a boatman, Corixidae ssp. Because of your description of the light thing, and the visible portion of front leg,folded back. You need to go back and collect a specimen. But even then, that still leaves you at family level. This is quite embarrassing really.

Dave Posted 9 years ago
1. Mark Ridgway
  
  Lion
  
  Wow!! Brilliant Dave. Thanks for all that. I first started with Corixidae but got diverted somehow.
  BugEric (Eric Eaton) has a very good reputation btw. He's also a PN ranger and although technically amateur has made bugs his life thing (except when he got married lol) so he prides in taking a very professional approach.
  I doubt I will get a specimen - never seen one before or since :)
  Can't believe how little work exists on these in Oz.
  
  https://www.flickr.com/photos/69610519@N08/6768345685/in/photostream/
  http://www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide/display.asp?type=5&class=17&subclass=&Order=3&family=59&couplet=0
  Posted 9 years ago, modified 9 years ago
2. 1. Vodkaman
    
    Lion
    
    Yes, very sketchy information, considering every entomologist played with boatmen and backswimmers when they were kids, I know I did. I would be hanging over the wall of the boating lake, sleeves rolled up to my shoulder, a couple of collecting jars, sifting through the rancid debris on the bottom. The far corner was the best spot:
    http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/22133705.jpg
    
    Dave Posted 9 years ago
  2. 1. Mark Ridgway
      
      Lion
      
      Zactly. I remember them all boring black and grey though.
      Keys as per above don't have any with gigantic headlight eyes (fully touching in the middle btw.)
      Thanks for the inputs anyway. Posted 9 years ago

No species identified

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By Mark Ridgway

Uploaded Apr 9, 2016. Captured Jan 30, 2014 07:11 in 1213 Burwood Hwy, Upper Ferntree Gully VIC 3156, Australia.

Explore Australia 13,073 4,173 3

EX-Z2000
f/3.4
1/15s
ISO125
8.46mm

Captured in the summer. More summer photos.