#4031 · 🦗 bugs, crickets & other insects
Eurasian Greater Water Boatman
🇳🇱 Gewoon bootsmannetje ·Notonecta glauca
📍 9732 EM Groningen, Nederland
📍 6708 LP Wageningen, Netherlands
📍 1382 JL Weesp, Nederland
📍 Wijnjewoude, Nederland
📍 Noordzee, De Koog, Noord-Holland, NL
📍 Louis Bouwmeesterstraat, Hengelo, Overijssel, NL
📍 1384 AW Nederland
10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences
- 1. © ingridaltmann · CC BY 4.0
- 2. © Stela Beatričė · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 3. © Johan Kjær Prehn · CC BY 4.0
- 4. 9732 EM Groningen, Nederland:© seriousjin · CC BY-ND 4.0
- 5. 6708 LP Wageningen, Netherlands:© Pádraic Flood · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- 6. 1382 JL Weesp, Nederland:© teddydolstra · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 7. Wijnjewoude, Nederland:© teddydolstra · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 8. Noordzee, De Koog, Noord-Holland, NL:© doriekejvl · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 9. Louis Bouwmeesterstraat, Hengelo, Overijssel, NL:© Herman Oldenhof · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 10. 1384 AW Nederland:© teddydolstra · CC BY-NC 4.0
what is it?
Notonecta glauca is a species of aquatic insect, and a type of backswimmer. It is the most widespread and abundant of the four British notonectids. They are also found throughout North America. Notonecta glauca are Hemiptera (true bug) predators, that are approximately 13–16 mm in length. They are the most common backswimmer species (49%). Females have a larger body size compared to males. These water insects swim and rest on their back (hence their common name "Backswimmer"...
base stats
Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).
fun facts
- Spotted 85 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist.
- 2,137 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
- Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).
fact sheet
- English
- Eurasian Greater Water Boatman
- Nederlands
- Gewoon bootsmannetje
- scientific name
- Notonecta glauca
- class
- Insecta
- order
- Hemiptera
- family
- Notonectidae
- sightings in NL
- 85
- sightings in Europe
- 1,734
- sightings worldwide
- 2,137
- GBIF records in NL
- 11,223
- weight
- —
- length
- —
- lifespan
- —
- named
- 1758
Sources: iNaturalist taxon 56554, Wikidata Q266370, GBIF 2020522, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.