Water scorpion (Nepa cinerea) |Size||Length: 18 - 22 mm (2)|
Common and widespread throughout Britain (2). The water scorpion
is not a true scorpion, but is a large, aquatic insect that
belongs to the order of insects known as the Hemiptera or 'bugs'
(2). Its flattened body is greyish brown on the upper surface;
the wings, which are held close to the body, and the abdomen
below the wings are pink (3). All true bugs have sucking
mouthparts, known as a rostrum or 'beak' (2). The water
scorpion's first pair of legs are very powerful, and are used to
seize prey, but the most notable feature is the remarkable
'tail', a thin projection from the rear of the bug which is used
as a siphon, to take in air (3). Very young larvae seem to be
'tailless', as the tail grows at a different rate to the body
(2). This water bug is common and widespread throughout Britain,
with the exception of northern Scotland, where it becomes rare
(3). Shows a preference for still waters in shallow ponds and
lakes but is also found in bracki