Backswimmer (za) (1/5)

Hemiptera: Notonectidae

Notonectidae sp  

Backswimmers swim in ponds, centimetres below the surface.

They swim upside down, i.e. on their backs, and hence the name. You can see the insects front four legs folded above the top half of its body whilst it uses the specially adapted rear legs as oars to paddle with.

The Backswimmer grabs small animals from the surface of the pond and drags them under the water where they are consumed.

In turn, several other larger creatures enjoy a good meal of Backswimmers.