Will they visit?: Water boatmen frequently visit home gardens
Natural Distribution: Common and widespread throughout the South West and Perth region
Corixidae – (CC)Cheryl Macaulay. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Corixidae – (CC)Matt Campbell. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Corixidae – (CC)Thomas Mesaglio. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Habitat at a Glance
See Habitat Guide for more detail
Shelter: Underneath the water surface
Diet: Algae and small invertebrates
Water: Large frog ponds
ReWild Benefit: Pest control
Habitat Guide - Shelter
Natural Shelter
Water Boatmen live in frog ponds and will shelter in submerged or floating vegetation. Plenty of vegetation in and around the pond will provide shelter as Water Boatmen are often prey for dragonfly nymphs, frogs, birds, and fish.
Water Boatmen can arrive into a new pond out of nowhere! At night, they fly between water bodies and ponds. If you don’t have room for a pond, a dampland can provide a refuge for travelling water boatmen.
Novel Shelter
Not required.
Habitat Guide - Food and Water
Providing natural sources of food
Water Boatmen are omnivores. They prefer to feed on algae and the sap from submerged plants within the pond. Some species of Water Boatmen will feed on the eggs and larvae of mosquitos and midges.
Providing sources of water
Water Boatmen live in water. Deep frog ponds will plenty of vegetation, submerged rocks and logs will provide plenty of habitat for Water Boatmen.
ReWild Benefits
Water Boatmen keep water bodies clean and control pests around the home. If you see this critter in your pond, you can record your sighting on Atlas of Living Australia!
