Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
creeping water bug
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
creeping water bug
Quizzes
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz
Green tree python snake (Chondropython viridis) in a rainforest.
Creepy Crawlers Quiz
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024
Animal Factoids
Quick Facts
Related Topics:
Hydrocorisae
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
creeping water bug
creeping water bug Creeping water bug (Ambrysus mormon).

creeping water bug

insect
Also known as: Naucoridae
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

creeping water bug, any flat-backed, oval-shaped insect of the family Naucoridae (order Heteroptera), which numbers about 150 species. These small, dark bugs, commonly found in tropical regions, range between 5 and 16 millimetres (0.2 and 0.6 inch) and, when submerged, breathe from air stored under their wings.

Creeping water bugs are usually seen swimming or creeping in quiet grassy or reedy waters. They prey on small aquatic organisms.