The backswimmer is a bug related to the waterboatmen
2006-12-07 02:16:40 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
As mangidabx said, they inject a chemical. It is essentially a digestive enzyme and toxin that both kills their prey and starts turning their innards into a soft slurry that the backswimmer can slurp up through its piercing/sucking mouthparts.
I can personally attest that it really, really hurts. Definitely worse than a yellowjacket sting. The worst was the one that got caught in my pant leg while wading in a pond, and then bit me on the leg as I was driving down the road (a busy road right next to West Edmonton Mall as a matter of fact). That was fun.
And more recent research has indicated that the waterboatman (Corixidae) may not be as herbivorous as once thought. They too may be able to attack and 'bite' prey in much the same way, but with much smaller prey (i.e. copepods and cladoceran crustaceans). I've never been bit by one of them though.
2006-12-07 02:53:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
Why is the bite of a backswimmer so painful?
The backswimmer is a bug related to the waterboatmen
2015-08-08 12:07:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/IRPca
Bitten by a backswimmer. Been there, done that, not fun! They have a hot little bite, don't they? Aquatic true bugs are notorious for painful bites. Do you have a nearby stream or pond? If so, just release them in there. Backswimmers are good fliers, so if they decide to move it won't be a problem. They often are found in pools. Just a good spot to land in and hang out until it's time to move on again. Kudos for not killing them! :)
2016-04-01 00:06:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Backswimmers, like many other Hemiptera,
especially the predatory ones, inject a pain-producing chemical with the bite. They bite with a
sharp pointed beak, which is also used to kill prey.
I don't know what the chemical is, but it is probably
mainly used to kill the other animals, mostly insects, that it feeds on. They don't have pincers.
Water boatmen are herbivores and don't, as far
as I know, bite. Other Hemiptera with painful
bites include assassin bugs, creeping water bugs,
water scorpions and even toad bugs, though toad
bugs rarely bite.
2006-12-07 02:43:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Backswimmer Bug
2016-12-18 04:07:23 · answer #5 · answered by wisorserratore 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Backswimmer
2016-11-07 09:09:11 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My brother still complains, 30 years after it happened, how much that backswimmer hurt. He has been stung by plenty of wasps and centipedes and broke two ribs so I guess it must really hurt. I suspect his innerds got digested pretty well.
2006-12-07 03:43:19 · answer #7 · answered by JimZ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It pumps a painful liquid into you.
Coach
2006-12-07 02:23:49 · answer #8 · answered by Thanks for the Yahoo Jacket 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Darn hemipterans. Yep, they have a really long, tough, snout that pierces your skin and secretes nasty enzymes. They're predators, so they are designed to pierce tough insect shells.
2006-12-07 06:31:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
because of its pincers.
2006-12-07 02:29:59 · answer #10 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋