A striking insect is a water meter. The Bedbug who subdued the three elements

In the world lives a huge number of amazing creatures. Some live in the sky, others on earth, while others prefer water at all. However, there are those who skillfully combine all three elements at the same time. For example, an insect water meter. And it will be discussed in this article.

Insect water meter: why so called a little bug?

"Water meter" - the name of the beetle, familiar to Russian-speaking countries. Our ancestors came up with this name, looking at how the insect slides on the water. They had the impression that with their movements it seemed as if they were measuring the water. At the same time this name is so attached to the beetle that even today it is still being called. Although in English his name sounds like a water strider, which means "running on water".

General information about the view

It should be noted that this is a very common insect. The water meter lives almost everywhere, except for the cold lands of the Arctic and Antarctic. Scientists consider these creatures to be a family of semi-beetles, sub-species of bedbugs. To date, more than 700 types of water meters are known, which differ not only in appearance and size, but also in their habitual way of life.

Appearance and distinctive features

So, what does the water meter look like? The insect, whose photo is more like a floating wand, has a rather long, elongated body. Depending on the subspecies, its size can range from 1-2 cm to 4-5 mm. In this case, the most tiny is an insect that lives in the sea.

The main feature of any water meter is the long legs. Often their size exceeds that of the bug itself. Similar proportions are due to the fact that the paws - this is the guarantee of the survival of the species. After all, it is they that allow an insect to quickly glide over the watery surface. In total, the water meter has six limbs. She also has wings, but she rarely uses them.

Most representatives of this species are dull in color. The most common are brown and black colors. By the way, this color is not accidental - nature specially awarded them an insect. Water meter is almost always in the open space, because the dark colors, perfectly merging with water, is her only chance to protect herself from constantly hungry birds and amphibians.

Ability to run on the waves

Water meter is an insect, the description of which always comes down to the story of its amazing ability to resist the water element. So how does she manage not to sink? The thing is that the feet of the bug are covered with a special substance, which in its structure resembles fat. This creates a kind of barrier that prevents the limbs from plunging into the water.

In addition, the insect can correctly distribute the weight: the load does not lie on one point, but is evenly transferred to all six limbs. As for the high speed of movement, it is achieved due to fast, pulse strokes. It is they who create behind the water meter the turbulence that pushes it forward.

It is noteworthy that a bug can float on both mirror-like surfaces and among waves. It is this ability that allows water meters to settle on different types of reservoirs, which significantly increases their survival, and consequently, the population.

Ration

Do not think that this is a peaceful insect, water meter is a real predator. She boldly attacks any small creature, who was not lucky to find herself on the surface of the water. Such impudence is completely justified, since other insects are not capable of rebuffing it, being in an element alien to them.

The principle of hunting water-meters is very simple. As soon as the prey falls into the water, they swiftly approach it and cling to the body with hook-shaped forelegs. Then the predator punches the shell of the victim with the help of an acute proboscis located on the head. After the water meter, it remains only to suck the liquid out of the body of the unhappy creature.

Features of the behavior of water meters

Many mistakenly assume that this is an exclusively water insect. A water meter does spend most of his life in a pond, but this does not mean that she is not capable of conquering other elements. For example, it has wings, allowing to make small flights. She uses them in the event that her native pond begins to dry up and she needs to find a new shelter.

Also, these bugs can crawl on the ground. They do it very clumsily, as thin paws constantly get stuck in small cracks and faults. However, despite this, land for them is vital. The whole point is that the water can not winter in the water, and therefore they are looking for a warm house in the ground or on a tree. Thus, this kind of bedbugs is really unique, because he managed to conquer three elements at once.

Natural enemies

The main enemies of water meters are birds and amphibians. The first catching insects in quiet sunny weather, and the latter skillfully track them at the edge of the shore. Naturally, they can not do much harm to the population, but individual individuals clearly have to reconcile themselves with the sad fate.

But this bug has one more enemy - a water mite. This parasite often affects the back of the insect, leading to complete exhaustion. Often such a symbiosis leads to the death of a water meter. And besides, it becomes a dangerous source of infection, capable of transmitting the parasite to other individuals of its kind.