Nepomorpha

Nepomorpha is an infraorder of true bugs within the suborder Heteroptera of the order Hemiptera. Members are primarily aquatic or semi-aquatic, inhabiting freshwater habitats such as ponds, streams, and wetlands, and some tolerate brackish conditions. They are adapted to life in water, with swimming legs and bodies often streamlined for buoyancy.

The infraorder comprises several families, including Belostomatidae (giant water bugs), Nepidae (water scorpions), Notonectidae (backswimmers), Corixidae (water boatmen), and Naucoridae (creeping water bugs). These groups display a range of sizes and shapes, united by their aquatic lifestyle.

Ecology and behavior: Most Nepomorpha are predators or omnivores, feeding on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and plant material. Notonectidae and Belostomatidae are particularly known as active ambush or pursuit predators; Corixidae commonly feed on algae and detritus. They typically live in freshwater habitats with submerged vegetation.

Life cycle and distribution: Eggs are laid on aquatic vegetation or submerged debris; nymphs resemble adults and molt through several instars before reaching maturity. Nepomorpha have a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring in ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands worldwide, but they are most diverse in temperate and tropical regions.