Water boatman
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 Sigara striata
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33 genera in 6 subfamilies |
Corixidae is a family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water boatmen. They inhabit ponds and slow moving streams, where they swim near the bottom. There are about 500 known species worldwide, in 33 genera.
Water boatmen generally have a long flattened body up to 13 mm in length and have extremely fine dark brown or black striations marking the wings. They have four long rear legs and two short front ones. The hind legs are fringed with hairs and shaped like oars, hence the name water boatman. Their front legs are scoop shaped at the tip. They also have a triangular head with short, triangular mouthparts.
Unlike their relatives the backswimmers, who swim upside down near the surface of the water, water boatmen swim right side up near the bottom of ponds or streams. It is easy to tell the two types of insects apart simply by looking at where the insect is in the water and whether it is swimming upside down or not.
Water boatmen are unusual among the aquatic Hemiptera in that they are mostly non-predatory, dining on aquatic plants and algae instead of insects and vertebrates. They use their straw-like mouthparts to inject saliva into plants. The saliva digests the plant material, allowing the water boatman to suck the liquefied food back through their mouthparts and into their digestive tract. A few species of water boatmen are predatory, but the majority are herbivorous.
The reproductive cycle of water boatmen is annual. Eggs are typically oviposited (deposited) on submerged plants, sticks, or rocks. In substrate limited waters (waters without many submegred oviposition sites), every bit of available substrate will be covered in eggs.
Water boatmen are considered a delicacy to people in many parts of Mexico, where they are harvested and eaten in large numbers. They are also used and exported as pet food. They have also been known to provide endless pleasure for children in Africa where competitions are held between siblings and friends to catch the most water boatmen (in glass bottles) from their local ponds and swimming pools.
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