Fewer are found elsewhere, but include several African, some in North America, three from Australia and three from the Palearctic, notably the relatively well-known European R.

These brown insects are primarily found in stagnant or slow-moving water like ponds, marshes and canals, but can also be seen in streams.

They typically eat other insects, tadpoles and small fish, which they pierce with their proboscis and inject a saliva which both sedates and begins to digest their prey.

They are sit-and-wait predators that reside among water plants and position themselves head-down with their grasping legs extended out to surprise passing prey.

[3] The Global Biodiversity Information Facility lists:[7] Data sources: i = ITIS,[8] c = Catalogue of Life,[9] g = GBIF,[7] b = Bugguide.net[10]