Arctic Water Bug vs Box Bug
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Arctic Water Bug | Box Bug |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arctocorisa carinata | Gonocerus acuteangulatus |
| Order | Hemiptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Corixidae | Coreidae |
| Size | 5-8 mm | 11-14 mm |
| Habitat | Tundra & Arctic | Heathland |
| Diet | Detritivores | Fruit Feeders |
| Regions | Arctic Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Siberia, Arctic Canada | Europe |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Arctic Water Bug
A small aquatic bug with a flattened body and oar-like hind legs for swimming. The back has fine transverse lines. It inhabits cold tundra ponds and lakes, swimming actively even in near-freezing water.
Did You Know?
Males produce sound by rubbing their front legs against their head to attract females, making them among the loudest animals relative to body size.
Box Bug
A slender, reddish-brown coreid bug historically restricted to box trees in southern England but now expanding its range northward. It feeds on developing fruits and seeds of box and hawthorn.
Did You Know?
Once Britain's rarest shieldbug confined to a single box woodland, it has expanded dramatically northward since 2000 due to warming temperatures.