Water scorpions are not true scorpions but they do have some
features in common, such as pincer-like front legs and an elongated abdomen.
Both types of ‘scorpion’ are voracious hunters. Members of the Nepidae family
(there are 14 genera within the family) are found on every continent except
Antarctica.
Water scorpions are of two types, either needle-shaped
(‘needle bugs’) or resembling a dead leaf in appearance.
Water scorpions live in plants close to the water’s edge
where they can stay still for many hours before pouncing on prey that comes too
close in the water. They will then grab the prey (such as tadpoles, small fish
and other aquatic animals) and inject it with venom to paralyze it. They will then
suck it dry of its body contents.
Water scorpions do not possess gills but have a breathing
tube that is used like a snorkel. They also trap air bubbles in their body hair
and use these to breathe underwater.
Male water scorpions attract females by rubbing their
forelegs against their bodies. Females lay their eggs in slits in plant stems.
© John Welford
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