Common Backswimmer Notonecta glauca

I get lots of water boatmen (family Corixidae) coming to light but never before have I had a backswimmer (family Notonectidae) come to light. This 'first' for me is evidently a very common species if you go looking in water, but as a naturalist who doesn't like getting my hands dirty and wet it's not something I come across normally. This one turned up in my moth trap on a very hot night.

Common Backswimmer Notonecta glauca, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 12th August 2024

My next was also on a hot night. Like many water boatmen that come to light, it had died by the time I went through the trap at dawn.

Common Backswimmer Notonecta glauca, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 29th July 2026