Thorn Bug vs Water Boatman

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Thorn Bug Water Boatman
Scientific Name Umbonia crassicornis Corixa punctata
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Membracidae Corixidae
Size 10-12 mm 6-10 mm
Habitat Underground Ponds & Lakes
Diet Sap Feeders Herbivores
Regions Central America, South America, North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Thorn Bug

Extraordinary treehopper with a thorn-shaped pronotum that makes it look exactly like a plant thorn when sitting on a branch. Mothers guard eggs and nymphs aggressively.

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Did You Know?

Treehoppers have evolved the most bizarre body shapes of any insect — their enlarged pronotum can mimic thorns, helicopter blades, antlers, and even ant-like forms.

Water Boatman

A small, oval aquatic bug with oar-like hind legs fringed with swimming hairs. Unlike most aquatic bugs, water boatmen are primarily herbivores that scrape algae from underwater surfaces.

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Did You Know?

Male water boatmen produce the loudest sound relative to body size of any animal on Earth, singing at 99 decibels by rubbing a ridge on their genitalia against their abdomen.