Water Scorpion
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
The Water Scorpion (Nepa cinerea) is an aquatic insect of the order Rhynchota, family Nepidae. It is a predatory insect with flattened, leaf-shaped body, piercing-sucking mouthparts with venomous salivary glands, and a painful sting for humans.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
Water Scorpion, Nepa cinerea, an insect of the order Rhynchota, family Nepidae. The body is flattened dorso-ventrally, leaf-shaped, with a straight thin tail-like appendage (respiratory tube) and grasping front legs. The body is colored in a dirty dark color. Very similar to a rotten leaf. Lives on aquatic plants and at the bottom of standing or slowly flowing bodies of water. Predator. Has piercing-sucking mouthparts with venomous salivary glands. The sting of this insect is painful for humans. The name water scorpion is due to the external and superficial resemblance to a scorpion.
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Cite this page
“Water Scorpion.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/water-scorpion/