Abstract
Several members of the order Heteroptera (‘bugs’) live either on or below the water surface. In contrast with terrestrial heteropterans, among which a considerable proportion of the species is herbivorous, water bugs are the predators of the water world (but for the water boatmen). The postembryonic development (i.e. that of the larvae after their hatching from the eggs) of the bugs is hemimetabolism. This means that larvae are the dead ringers of the imagos concerning both their appearance and their feeding habits. Nevertheless, some organs of the imagos, like the wings or the breathing tube (e.g. water scorpion), are absent or vestigial on the nymphs of some species.
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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Wien
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Kriska, G. (2013). Water Bugs – Heteroptera . In: Freshwater Invertebrates in Central Europe. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1547-3_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1547-3_17
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Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
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Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-1547-3
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