Brazos Bend State Park - Pond Life True Bugs

Pond Life of Brazos Bend State Park

Hemiptera:The True Bugs

Order Hemiptera are the insects known as “true bugs”. The distinguishing characteristics of this order are:

Giant water bug (Belostoma) head

Piercing, sucking mouth parts. Most aquatic hemiptera are predators. They stab their prey with their beak-like mouth parts and inject enzymes into the prey. These enzymes dissolve the prey's internal tissue so that it can be sucked up through the beak. Be careful in handling hempitera. Most species can inflict painful bites.

2 pairs of wings, which are folded flat over the back when the insect is not using them. The hind wings are kept on the bottom, and are membranous. The fore wings are divided into 2 parts. The part closest to the insect's head is a tough covering while the rear part is a membranous wing like the hind wings. Hemipterans have a large triangular plate, the scutellum between the fore wings.

Creeping water bug (Naucoridae) head and thorax, showing scutellum.

Insects in this order do not go through complete metamorphosis. The young are almost identical to the adults, except that they do not have wings.

Aquatic Hemiptera are usually tolerant of pollution. This is because they rely on surface air to breath. Some breath through long tubes in their abdomen. Others trap air under their wings and carry it underwater like small aqua lungs.

Aquatic hemiptera found at Brazos Bend State Park include:

Giant Water bugs – family Belostomatidae

Creeping Water bugs – family Naucoridae

Water scorpions – family Nepidae

Water Boatmen – family Corixidae

Backswimmers – family Notonectidae

Giant Water Bugs

Insects and their Larvae

Updated: Aug 12, 2011

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The purpose of the Volunteer organization is to assist and educate the visitors of Brazos Bend State Park through information and interpretive programs and to assist in the care and conservation of the Park. Brazos Bend State Park 21901 FM 762 Needville, Texas 77461 979-553-5101