Western Corsair vs Water Boatman

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Western Corsair Water Boatman
Scientific Name Rasahus thoracicus Corixa punctata
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Reduviidae Corixidae
Size 18-23 mm 6-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions Western North America, Mexico Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Western Corsair

A large, dark brown assassin bug found in western North America that occasionally enters homes and can deliver an intensely painful bite. It is nocturnal and attracted to lights. It preys on a variety of insects around buildings.

💡

Did You Know?

Its bite is so painful that it is sometimes mistaken for a scorpion sting, and the pain can persist for hours, earning it frequent complaints to pest control services.

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.

💡

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.