Thread-legged Bug vs Water Scorpion

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Thread-legged Bug Water Scorpion
Scientific Name Emesaya brevipennis Nepa cinerea
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Reduviidae Nepidae
Size 30-37 mm 18-22 mm
Habitat Caves Ponds & Lakes
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions North America Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Thread-legged Bug

An extremely slender assassin bug with stick-like legs that hunts in spider webs. It plucks web strands to lure spiders close enough to seize and consume them.

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Did You Know?

It invades spider webs and mimics trapped prey vibrations to lure the resident spider within striking distance.

Water Scorpion

A flat aquatic bug that lurks in shallow water resembling a dead leaf. It breathes through a long tail-like siphon that breaks the water surface.

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Did You Know?

Despite its name and scorpion-like raptorial forelegs, the water scorpion is a weak swimmer and instead ambushes prey from vegetation.