Bug FAQPelocoris femoratus
Pelocoris femoratus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Naucoridae
Pelocoris femoratus is a creeping water bug in the family Naucoridae. It lives in still water with abundant vegetation and lays its eggs on submerged plants. The bug is found across Central, North, and South America, feeds on other arthropods while swimming, and is active from spring through autumn.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Pelocoris femoratus belongs to the family Naucoridae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers still water that has a high density of vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It catches and eats other arthropods while swimming.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Eggs are deposited on submerged plants.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from spring to autumn.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where does Pelocoris femoratus live?
It lives in still water with lots of vegetation and lays its eggs on submerged plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What does Pelocoris femoratus eat?
It actively catches and feeds on other arthropods while swimming.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I expect to see Pelocoris femoratus?
Adults are active from spring through autumn.
Source: Wikipedia
What region is Pelocoris femoratus native to?
It is found in Central, North, and South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelocoris_femoratus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.