Lesser water boatman
Encyclopedia
The lesser water boatman (Corixa punctata) is a water-dwelling insect
of order Hemiptera
.
They normally grow to between 5 and 15 mm long, and are found in ponds, lakes and even swimming pools. The boatman feeds on algae
and dead plant material. They have long hind legs which they use to swim at the top of water, these powerful legs are covered in tiny hairs which help them keep buoyant. The boatman's mating call, generated by rubbing the penis
against the abdomen
, is the loudest sound, relative to body size, in the animal kingdom.
They breathe oxygen by trapping air beneath their wing cases when they are on the surface as the oxygen is trapped by tiny hairs.
They are similar to Notonecta glauca, the water boatman or back swimmer by appearance, although these lesser waterboatman are herbivores and swim on their fronts. They are not related to Notonecta glauca, the water boatman or back swimmer.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0021089
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
of order Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
.
They normally grow to between 5 and 15 mm long, and are found in ponds, lakes and even swimming pools. The boatman feeds on algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
and dead plant material. They have long hind legs which they use to swim at the top of water, these powerful legs are covered in tiny hairs which help them keep buoyant. The boatman's mating call, generated by rubbing the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
against the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
, is the loudest sound, relative to body size, in the animal kingdom.
They breathe oxygen by trapping air beneath their wing cases when they are on the surface as the oxygen is trapped by tiny hairs.
They are similar to Notonecta glauca, the water boatman or back swimmer by appearance, although these lesser waterboatman are herbivores and swim on their fronts. They are not related to Notonecta glauca, the water boatman or back swimmer.
External links
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0021089