Probably many have seen this picture, when the depth of the reservoir rises to the surface of a large dark-colored beetle with an oval little body, bordered by a yellow stripe on the breast plates and elytra.This insect belongs to the family of aquatic Coleoptera, beetle beetle.Photo shows how bright and attractive it is.
There are more than four thousand species, and in Russia - about three hundred species of fourteen territories.Beetles inhabit deep-diving beetles standing waters, lush vegetation and animals.Beetle is a predator.Reservoirs with sparse populations will not be able to provide a sufficient supply of food beetles.Since the beetle most voracious aquatic predators, it is not limited to eating small aquatic animals, and sometimes attacks on fish or newts.It can attack animals, larger than the size of his own.
himself beetle unattractive to predators, because it has an impressive arguments against the wishes them to profit.In case of danger, beetle from the breast-shield produces a fountain of liquid whitish caustic addition, it helps to color.For waterfowl beetle undistinguished.
Periodically beetle beetle emerges from the water, exposing the back of his body, and hangs in that position for a while.What he writes such somersaults?The fact that his respiratory system is arranged so that the oxygen enters through the spiracles, located at the end of the abdomen.During the ascent to the surface of the air valve opens, and so the beetle gets a portion of the oxygen.Soon beetle again plunges into the water, taking a bubble of air under their wing.It is needed not only as a beetle air supply, but as a hydrostatic unit.Having spent an oxygen reserve, beetle rises again to the surface.As a rule, beetle beetle emerges every eight minutes.
Since the body is lighter than water beetle, beetle to the surface without any effort (it simply pushes water), but the dive requires considerable effort and intense movements.To stay under water beetle forced to cling to any bodies of water - algae, sticks, stones and so on.Help him to cling to its forelimbs, equipped with sharp hooks.
Males have a pair of legs on the front wheel-sucker.They help to attach to objects with a smooth surface, and also serve as a kind of device to capture the female during mating.It is believed that the suckers operate using adhesive, non-solvent in liquid water.Females do not have suction cups, so they have more nadkrylki furrows, although females sometimes there are smooth nadkrylkami.
Thanks to a well-developed wings beetle is able to leave his pond and inland to fly over long distances.Beetle-beetle, the insect is fairly strong.In water, it helps to move paddle-shaped, covered with hairs, rear pair of limbs.Like rowers beetle overcomes the density of water, and sometimes develops a speed at which is able to move faster than some fish.
Proburivaya holes in the plants, the female lays her eggs, from which larvae emerge, and the end of its development, the larva crawls ashore and pupate.A few weeks from the pupa appears beetle beetle, back into the water, and life goes on.
