We found it in the pool
We found this in the pool in Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley in NSW, Australia – I have never seen one before and hope to never again.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for sending us you most awesome photo of a Water Scorpion in the genus Nepa. We often get photos of their relatives, Water Scorpions in the genue Ranatra as well as Giant Water Bugs known as Toe Biters, but we rarely get these broader Water Scorpions in the genus Nepa. They are not deadly, but the bite is quite painful.
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Like the lady in Muswellbrook I found what I now know to be a water scorpion swimming in our pool, unlike the lady I scooped it out of the pool with my bare hand unawares that it could bite, it differed in that the nippers and legs were quite small and the body fatter and longer compared to the Muswellbrook specimen and about 10cm in length, I left it on the side of the pool and ran for a camera but unfortunately it had gone before I returned.
M. Mansell South Coast Illawarra N.S.W.
Water Scorpions are able to fly, and once your individual found itself on dry land, it must have flown off to wetter surroundings.
Thank you for your prompt reply Bugman, that explains why it disappeared so quickly, the only thing I forgot to mention my specimen was more of a reddish brown than the Muswellbrook specimen and the fore-leg pincers were folded back looking less prominent also its legs were retracted.
After looking on your site and realizing what the insect was I looked at my U.K. Insects in Colour by Ake Sandhall amazingly there was my specimen nepa cineria.
Wonderful. Now we are sad you were unable to provide an image of a UK Water Scorpion for our archives.
The image of the UK water scorpion is on an email to you for your archives Mr Bugman , any other UK bug images from the book I can help you with I am happy to email them to you.
Thanks Michael,
If the image you attached came from a book, we cannot post it because of copyright infringement. Thanks for your good intentions.
Actually it’s a water scorpion not the toe biting insect! What do I do, I have it and a picture.
You may send images using the Ask What’s That Bug? link on our site.