Water Scorpion - Nepa cinerea
The water scorpion is a large, brown, leaf-shaped predatory water bug. The long tail acts as a breathing tube to penetrate the water surface, exactly like a snorkel.
Clean well-vegetated ponds and other still or gently flowing water.
Feeds on Insects, tadpoles and small fish. It conceals itself in weed and grabs passing prey with its pincer-like front legs. The female lays eggs in the stems of plants under water.
Widely distributed in Britain, but commoner in the south.
Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.
JamesCalow
Near Higham-on-the-Hill
18 May 2017
Graham Calow
Broughton Astley Brick Quarry
02 September 2014
JamesCalow
Near Higham-on-the-Hill
18 May 2017
David Nicholls
Ratby garden1
10 September 2009
Annie Smith
Charnwood Lodge
21 April 2016
AJ Cann
Knighton, Washbrook
02 July 2024
nymph
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Species profile
- Common names
- Water Scorpion
- Species group:
- Bugs
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Hemiptera
- Family:
- Nepidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 19
- First record:
- 21/09/2001 (D. Voce)
- Last record:
- 05/07/2024 (Cann, Alan)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
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Latest records
Graham Calow
Broughton Astley Brick Quarry
02 September 2014
Annie Smith
Charnwood Lodge
21 April 2016
Annie Smith
Charnwood Lodge
21 April 2016
among tadpoles
