The lesser water boatman is a native aquatic insect common in most freshwater habitats. There are many different species of "lesser" water boatmen in the UK and it can be very hard to identify them. Ranging in size from 0.2 cm to 2.5 cm, unlike the unrelated greater water boatman ( notonecta glauca ) , all species of lesser water boatman are scavengers feeding on detritus, dead plant material and other organic matter making them an excellent addition to a wildlife pond both as cleaners and an additional natural food source for larger pond inhabitants.