Singing Water Boatman vs Rounded Metalmark

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Singing Water Boatman Rounded Metalmark
Scientific Name Micronecta scholtzi Calephelis perditalis
Order Hemiptera Lepidoptera
Family Corixidae Riodinidae
Size 2 mm 20-26 mm wingspan
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Forests
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe South Texas, northeastern Mexico
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.

Rounded Metalmark

A small reddish-brown metalmark with distinctly rounded wing margins and two rows of metallic silvery spots. It is found in subtropical scrublands near the Mexican border.

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Did You Know?

It is so obscure that some populations were only discovered through targeted surveys of rare habitat in the Rio Grande Valley.