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Nepomorpha

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Nepomorpha

Nepa cinerea, a water scorpion

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Euarthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hemiptera

Suborder: Heteroptera
Infraorder: Nepomorpha

Superfamilies

Aphelocheiroidea
Corixoidea
Naucoroidea
Nepoidea
Notonectoidea
Ochteroidea
Pleoidea

Synonyms

Cryptocerata
Hydrocorisae

Nepomorpha is an infraorder of insects in the "true bug" order (Hemiptera). They belong to the
"typical" bugs of the suborder Heteroptera. Due to their aquatic habits, these animals are
known as true water bugs. They occur all over the world outside the polar regions, with about
2,000 species altogether. The Nepomorpha can be distinguished from related Heteroptera by
their missing or vestigial ocelli. Also, as referred to by the obsolete name Cryptocerata ("the
hidden-horned ones"), their antennae are reduced, with weak muscles, and usually carried
tucked against the head.[1]
Most of the species within this infraorder live in freshwater habitats. The exceptions are
members of the superfamily Ochteroidea, which are found along the water's edge. Many of
these insects are predators of invertebrates and in some cases – like the large water
scorpions (Nepidae) and giant water bugs(Belostomatidae) – even small fish and amphibians.
Others are omnivores or feed on plants. Their mouthpartsform a rostrum as in all Heteroptera
and most Hemiptera. With this, they pierce their food source to suck out fluids; some, like
the Corixidae, are also able to chew their food to some extent, sucking up the resulting pulp.
The rostrum can also be used to sting in defence; some, like the common backswimmer
(Notonecta glauca) of the Notonectidae can easily pierce the skin of humans and deliver a
wound often more painful than a bee's sting.

Systematics[edit]
Notonecta glauca (Notonectidae)

The Nepomorpha probably originated around the start of the Early Triassic, some 250 million
years ago. As evidenced by fossils such as the rather advanced Triassocoridae or the primitive
water boatman Lufengnacta, the radiation establishing today's superfamilies seems to have
been largely complete by the end of the Triassic201 million years ago. There are a large
number of fossil genera, but except those placed in Triassocoridae they can at least tentatively
be assigned to the extant superfamilies.[1]
Though the systematics and phylogeny of the higher taxa of Nepomorpha were long
controversial, cladistic analysis of mitochondrial 16S and nuclear 28S rDNA sequence data
and morphology has more recently resolved to near-perfection. The long-accepted
superfamilies are all monophyletic, with the exception of the Naucoroidea, which is
now monotypic with the Aphelocheiridae and Potamocoridae being split off in a new
superfamily Aphelocheiroidea. The Cibariopectinata, a proposed clade established on the
presence of cibariopectine structures in the food-sucking pump of some of the most advanced
true water bugs (Tripartita), might indeed be monophyletic. Alternatively it might
be synonymous with the Tripartita, the Ochteroidea having lost the cibariopectines again due to
the different requirements of their (for Nepomorpha) unusual lifestyle.[1]
The following list arranges of superfamilies in evolutionary sequence, from the most ancient to
the most modern lineage:[1]

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