Singing Water Boatman vs Eastern Bat Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Singing Water Boatman Eastern Bat Bug
Scientific Name Micronecta scholtzi Cimex adjunctus
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Corixidae Cimicidae
Size 2 mm 4-5 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Gardens
Diet Omnivores Blood Feeders
Regions Europe Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Singing Water Boatman

The loudest animal relative to body size on Earth. This 2 mm aquatic bug produces mating calls reaching 99.2 decibels by rubbing its genitalia against its abdomen.

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Did You Know?

This tiny water bug produces 99 dB of sound by stridulating with its penis — making it the loudest animal relative to body size, and earning it a Guinness World Record.

Eastern Bat Bug

A blood-feeding ectoparasite primarily of bats in eastern North America. It can bite humans when bat colonies are removed from buildings.

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Did You Know?

It is nearly indistinguishable from the common bed bug and requires microscopic examination to tell apart.