Backswimmer
Guides
Buenoa
backswimmer
Buenoa is a genus of backswimmers (family Notonectidae) established by George Willis Kirkaldy in 1904 to accommodate Western Hemisphere species formerly placed in Anisops. The genus is distinguished from Anisops by males having a two-segmented front tarsus, versus one-segmented in the latter genus. Buenoa contains 69 described species distributed across the Americas. Members are aquatic predators inhabiting diverse freshwater and saltwater environments.
Buenoa arida
Buenoa arida is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae, first described by Truxal in 1953. The genus Buenoa comprises aquatic predatory insects that swim upside down. This species is part of a diverse group of true bugs adapted to freshwater environments.
Buenoa confusa
Buenoa confusa is a species of backswimmer (family Notonectidae) described by Truxal in 1953. It is distributed across the Caribbean, Central America, and North America. As a member of the genus Buenoa, it is an aquatic true bug that inhabits freshwater environments.
Buenoa margaritacea
Buenoa margaritacea is a backswimmer species in the family Notonectidae, first described by Torre-Bueno in 1908. As a member of the genus Buenoa, it shares the characteristic inverted swimming posture of backswimmers. The species has been documented in both Central and North America. Like other notonectids, it is an aquatic insect adapted to freshwater environments.
Buenoa marki
Buenoa marki is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae. It is currently known only from solution holes near the Pinelands Trail in Everglades National Park, Florida. The species was described by Reichart in 1971. Its actual distribution may be broader than currently documented.
Buenoa scimitra
backswimmer
Buenoa scimitra is a backswimmer (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) first described by Bare in 1925. It inhabits freshwater environments across North America, the Caribbean, and Middle America. The species is a documented predator of mosquito larvae and serves as a known host for the parasitic water mite Hydrachna virella, which attaches to multiple instars and adults.
Martarega mexicana
backswimmer
Martarega mexicana is a species of backswimmer (family Notonectidae) first described by Truxal in 1949. As a member of the genus Martarega, it belongs to a group of aquatic predatory insects known for swimming upside down beneath the water surface. The species has been documented in both Central America and North America, though specific details about its biology remain limited in published literature.
Notonecta borealis
backswimmer
Notonecta borealis is a species of backswimmer (family Notonectidae) found in North America. As a member of the genus Notonecta, it is an aquatic predatory insect that swims upside down. The species was described by Hussey in 1919. Very little specific biological information has been published for this particular species.
Notonecta indica
backswimmer
Notonecta indica is a predatory aquatic true bug in the family Notonectidae, commonly known as backswimmers. The species has been documented in eastern Jamaica where it preys on mosquito larvae, particularly Aedes aegypti, with consumption rates increasing exponentially through nymphal development. Adults consume approximately 38 mosquito larvae daily under laboratory conditions. The species occurs across a broad geographic range including the Caribbean, Central America, North America, Oceania, and South America. Development from egg to adult takes approximately 36 days under warm conditions, with shorter development times than temperate backswimmer species attributed to higher temperatures and food availability.
Notonecta insulata
backswimmer
Notonecta insulata is a species of backswimmer, an aquatic true bug in the family Notonectidae. It is found in North America, where it inhabits freshwater environments. Like other backswimmers, it swims upside down and is an active predator of small aquatic invertebrates. The species was described by Kirby in 1837.
Notonecta kirbyi
Kirby's Backswimmer
Notonecta kirbyi, commonly known as Kirby's backswimmer, is a species of aquatic true bug in the family Notonectidae. Like other backswimmers, it swims inverted on the water surface using its long, oar-like hind legs. The species is found in North America and shares the general habits of the genus Notonecta, including predatory feeding on small aquatic organisms and the ability to fly between water bodies.
Notonecta lunata
Backswimmer
Notonecta lunata is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae. It is found in North America, with specific records from Vermont and other parts of the United States. Backswimmers in the genus Notonecta are aquatic insects known for swimming upside down and preying on small aquatic organisms.
Notonecta montezuma
Notonecta montezuma is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae. It is an aquatic true bug found in North and Middle America. Like other backswimmers, it swims upside down using its long, oar-like hind legs. The species is part of the genus Notonecta, which contains backswimmers that are generally larger than water boatmen and more commonly encountered in open water habitats.
Notonecta petrunkevitchi
Notonecta petrunkevitchi is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae, described by Hutchinson in 1945. As a member of the genus Notonecta, it shares the characteristic habit of swimming upside down in aquatic environments. The species is known from North America, though specific details about its ecology and distribution within this range remain poorly documented. Like other backswimmers, it is presumably predatory and possesses hydrophobic hairs for underwater respiration.
Notonecta undulata
Grousewinged Backswimmer
Notonecta undulata, commonly known as the grousewinged backswimmer, is an aquatic true bug (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) found across North America. Adults measure 10–12 mm in length and are distinguished from other backswimmers by their 4-segmented antennae and wing pattern featuring a large black spot on the wing membrane median line. The species inhabits small ponds and lakes with slow-moving water, swimming upside down beneath the water surface to capture prey. It is a generalist predator with documented preference for mosquito larvae, and has been studied as a potential biological control agent.
Notonecta unifasciata
backswimmer
Notonecta unifasciata is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae. It is distributed across Central America, North America, and South America. The species was described by Guérin-Méneville in 1857 and includes three recognized subspecies: Notonecta unifasciata andersoni, Notonecta unifasciata cochisiana, and the nominate subspecies Notonecta unifasciata unifasciata. As a member of the genus Notonecta, it shares the characteristic habit of swimming upside down near the water surface.