Greater Water Boatman (notonecta glauca)

This is the bigger of the two boatmen species. It can grow to 2cm long and can give you a friendly nip if you pick it up!

Water boatmen get their name from their large back legs which look like oars. They use them to paddle their way through the water. 

The greater water boatman is not just bigger than the lesser water boatman, there are other differences between them. Firstly, the greater water boatman swims on its back, not its front, hence sometimes people call them backswimmers. It is also definitely a carnivore! It feels the vibrations of its prey, catches them with its front legs and injects them with toxic saliva and then sucks out their insides! It can eat creatures as big as tadpoles and even small fish.