Water Scorpion
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Nepidae
While the name might seem intimidating, people generally have nothing to fear from water scorpions! The “tail” is not a stinger but two half-tube structures that can be locked together. These insects can then use it like a snorkel, sticking it above the water to carry air to their abdomens. Just imagine having built-in snorkeling gear!
OAC Centennial Arboretum Centre
250 Arboretum Road
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
arbor@uoguelph.ca
(519) 824-4120 ext. 52113
The land where The Arboretum now grows has been home to plants and animals for thousands of years. It was home to Indigenous peoples long before settlers arrived. We recognize the traditional, ancestral, and treaty lands of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Attawandaron, and Mississaugas of the Credit peoples, as well as the Dish with One Spoon covenant covering the Between the Lakes Treaty 3 lands on which the University of Guelph and The Arboretum now sit. We are honoured to work on and care for this land.