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Genus of true bugs From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nepa is a genus belonging to the family Nepidae, known as water scorpions. There are six species found in freshwater habitats in the Northern Hemisphere.[2][3]
| Nepa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nepa cinerea | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Nepidae |
| Subfamily: | Nepinae |
| Genus: | Nepa Linnaeus, 1758[1] |
| Synonyms | |
| |
They are oval-bodied, aquatic insects with raptorial front legs. Like other members of the Nepidae, they have a pair of nonretractable cerci-like breathing tubes on the terminal abdominal segment, a characteristic which readily distinguishes them from the Belostomatidae. Their primary staples are other insects and small aquatic vertebrates. They can inflict a painful bite when handled.[4]
'Nepa' is a classical Latin word for a 'scorpion' or 'crab'.[5]
The following species are included in Nepa:[2][3][6][7]
Among these, N. apiculata of eastern North American (Canada and United States), and N. cinerea of Europe, northern Africa and northern Asia, are widespread.[2][4] The remaining have restricted ranges in Corsica, Sardinia, Romania, Morocco and northeastern Asia.[2][3] One of these, N. anophthalma, is the only cave-adapted species in the family Nepidae, found in Movile Cave.[3]
Linnaeus listed a number of additional species in his description of the genus, most of which either are considered synonyms or have been moved to other genera.
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