#water bugs

[tgirl-tamag0tchi]

Water Bugs

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Pygmy Backswimmers: these tiny insects are able to breathe underwater by keeping pockets of air tucked against their bellies

Above: a pygmy backswimmer with an air bubble on its belly

Aquatic insects from the families Pleidae, Notonectidae, and Corixidae are commonly known as backswimmers or boatsmen, because they swim backward with their bellies facing up, and they often propel themselves through the water by "rowing" with their legs. The pygmy backswimmers (family Pleidae) are the smallest of these insects, measuring just 1.5-3mm long.

Above: backswimmers of family Pleidae

Pygmy backswimmers have compact little bodies, wide heads, and large, red eyes that give them a very distinctive appearance. The adults are typically gold, beige, and/or yellow with silver markings on their shells.

Above: Plea minutissima, a species that can be found throughout Europe

Like many aquatic bugs, the pygmy backswimmer is an air-breathing insect that can only survive underwater by carrying its own pocket of air around as it swims, like a tiny scuba diver with a tank of oxygen. The bubble is carried on the ventral side of the backswimmer's body, which gives the belly a silvery appearance.

Above: a pygmy backswimmer with a pocket of air

As this article explains:

Pleidae are air-breathers and carry an air reserve with them which is periodically replenished by a dash to the water's surface. This air is contained in a felt-like cushion on the underside, thus the belly has a higher buoyancy.

These backswimmers can also secrete a substance that contains large amounts of hydrogen peroxide and other bactricidal compounds; they routinely use that secretion to disinfect the cuticle that surrounds their belly and other surfaces where the oxygen is stored.

Above: this photo shows a pygmy backswimmer standing on a person's fingertip, demonstating just how tiny these insects really are

Pygmy backswimmers are predators that hunt other small invertebrates, using a beak-like appendage known as a rostrum to pierce the victim's shell and then feeding on the fluids within. Their mouthparts cannot penetrate human skin, however, and they're completely harmless to people.

According to this article:

[Pygmy backswimmers] occur globally except at the Poles and some distant oceanic islands, and almost all dally in clear, still, weedy waters. Look for them, often in small groups, among the leaves of submerged vegetation. Though they may inhabit ephemeral ponds and can dry out for a while when the pond does, they generally live in permanent waters.

Above: Plea minutissima submerged just below the surface of the water

Sources & More Info:

UNH Center for Freshwater Biology: Pleidae

Saukville Field Station: Pygmy Backswimmer

Scientific Reports: The Discovery of an Overseen Pygmy Backswimmer in Europe

Royal Entomological Society: Secretion-Grooming in the Water Bug Plea minutissima

Bugs of the World: Metathoracic Scent Gland Secretions of Adult Pleids

Australian Faunal Directory: Family Pleidae

Guide to Common Plants and Animals of North American Ponds and Lakes: Pygmy Backswimmers

[honeyandbloodpoetry]

"The Proposal"

My second insect pinning piece using giant water bugs this time. This was a piece made for my wife, using the flower I tucked into her hair the night I proposed to her. This piece is meant to emulate a proposal in much the same way. :)

I am very proud of how it came out!!!

[unnamedtune]

12 am water buge appreciation post

This is a boatsman, and I think they are so cute and cool like look at them

They look like little aliens, and they swim funny too

They can make a hella loud noise too which is cool

BUT my all time favorite has to go to the water scavenger beetle

Like. Look at that thang. Its perfect. It’s a beetle, AND it likes water. What more could you desire?

You could desire its beautiful way of swimming, seen here:

I fucking love watching these guys swim around im the water it’s so captivating. Seriously considering making a water bug focused aquarium in my permanent home, theyre way more fascinating than fish imo

Just ouuughhh late night rambly brain but theyre soooooooo cool I love seeing all of them, even water striders too. Love me some water bugs <3

[firebugseverywhere]

I found little larvae in my aunt's swimming pool! :-D

I think they're beetles? I'm pretty sure. Made a deal with my aunt to come take these home with me in the future since they're planning to use the swimming pool soon.

If anybody knows what beetle this is specifically, let me know! I'm really curious.

If it's Dytiscus marginalis it's actually under protection and thus it would be a bit illegal to kill them without reason. Saying that convinced my aunt to wait with the removal lol

Also saved this bumblebee (queen?), just look at how wet my girl is :-)

[antiqueanimals]

William Houghton (English, 1828–1895)

[sir-squibbly]

Big Bug Appreciation Post! (1/2)

For anyone who’s been on my blog, or has interacted with me, it’s no surprise I’m a bug enthusiast. But I don’t think I’ve ever made an official bug appreciation post, and there are a lot of bugs in my state that I think are super neat, so I wanted to briefly talk about them here. Not all of them will be insects though.

Unfortunately, I won’t be putting in any isopods or roaches because my state doesn’t have a whole lot of those guys that I would consider “particularly special.” But just note that I do appreciate isopods and roaches, and think that they have a great impact on their natural environments.

Anyway, onto the bugs!

Blue-Winged Wasp

These babes usually hang out in the dog fennel near my yard, and I think they’re very pretty wasps. Their wings are an iridescent blue (hence the name), and their yellow spots are quite cute. They're also relatively chill, so you can stand pretty close to them and they wouldn’t care.

2. Common Paper Wasp

They’re everywhere, but I’d be lying if I said they weren’t pretty either. I think that they have a really neat color palette and super cool pattern to them. I’ve had personal experience with them, and I’ve always made sure that when I went on my balcony, that I didn’t present as a threat to them. Overall, I enjoyed sitting with these pretty critters.

3. Giant Leopard Moth

They look like snow leopards! Ironically enough, similar to how snow leopards are closely related to tigers, leopard moths are closely related to tiger moths (in fact, they’re in the same family). I raised one of these guys. His name was Napoleon, and he was the fanciest little guy 🩵.

4. Amber Snail

It’s usually stated online that amber snails are a pretty rare species. So I think it was pretty neat how I once found five or six on my mom’s calla lilies. They’re very tiny and very adorable, ‘nuff said.

5. Golden Sill Orb Weaver

A huge species of orb weaver that I think is absolutely gorgeous. These gals can get big, and I mean BIG. But no matter the size, it’s always a treat to see them during walks into the woods.

6. Agapostemon Sweat Bee

Agapostemon is actually just a genus of sweat bee, and I’ve personally come across at least two species. All I really need to say about these guys is that they’re metallic green bees, and the ones that live near my house are surprisingly mega chill (I still wouldn’t hold one tho lol).

7. Bee Fly

Maybe not as cute as their Japanese relatives, but they’re still whimsical little fairy creatures that I would absolutely pet in a heartbeat (if given the chance).

8. Flatback Millipede

I just wanted to bring up how metal I think these guys are. 10/10, absolutely fire little guys 🔥🔥🔥.

9. Eastern Pondhawk

They’re everywhere in the local pond and I love them. They’re one of my favorite examples of dimorphism because of how cool the females look (they’re the green ones). But sometimes it can be hard to distinguish a male and a female because younger males are more green. Still, they’re cool bugs.

10. Violet Dancer

In my opinion, one of the prettiest species of damselflies. I’ve encountered one of these before (at a swamp). They’re just as vibrant as in the pictures 💜.

11. Ebony Jewelwing

Another beautiful damselfly! This time, on a larger scale. These can also be found in swamps, and their metallic green color is super cool.

12. Swallowtails (Just in General)

(Pipevine Swallowtail in the picture)

Swallowtails are my state’s official butterfly, and the reason for that is pretty simple: They’re literally everywhere. The most common is the Eastern Tiger, but there are other species, such as: The Black Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, and probably even more. Another neat thing about them is that they’re in the same family as the world’s largest butterfly species: The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing. So there’s some fun lil trivia for ya 👍.

13. Golden Northern Bumblebee

They’re very friend-shaped, and also very big. In fact, some of them can get bigger than carpenter bees. They don’t visit very often, but I really like them.

14. Variegated Fritillary

A very close relative of the gulf fritillary. In fact, I found caterpillars of both species eating passion vine together.

You can usually tell them apart pretty easily since Variegated caterpillars are lined with white dots. Also, fun fact: Their spines are non-stinging and completely harmless in general.

15. Larger Elm Leaf Beetle

Super friend-shaped, and extremely lightweight (you will barely feel them on your hand). They're pretty easy to handle since they’re very docile. But they’re considered pests to certain plants, so they’re not very liked by gardeners.

16. Golden Tortoise Beetle

Also friend-shaped, but very tiny and super skittish. One really interesting thing about them is that their larvae use their own feces as a shield. So, yeah, that’s a thing that they do.

17. Imperial Moth

A close relative of the Luna Moth (they’re in the same family). They might not be the most extravagant moths, but they have a rustic charm to them, and they remind me of bananas. Also, they’re fluffy, so they’re automatically cute.

18. Pink-Striped Oakworm Moth

A much smaller relative of the Luna Moth (also in the same family). These babes are nocturnal and absolutely adorable.

19. Antlion

Despite being shaped like a damselfly, these fellas are more closely related to lacewings and mantidflies. You may recognize their name, and that’s because the most notable thing about antlions is their larvae (also called “doodlebugs”).

Y’know, these silly lil guys. The ones that make pit traps to eat their favorite food: Ants. They're funky. I love them.

20. Spring Fishfly

I just think they’re cool. They come from water.

21. Woolly Apple Aphid

Adorable, fluffy, whimsical fairy creatures. I had the pleasure of holding one once. You can’t even feel them on your finger.

22. Red Velvet Ant/ Cow Killer

Despite her name, she’s not actually an ant. She’s a type of wasp in the family Mutilidae, where females are wingless. These wasps (specifically the males) are called “cow killers” because of a myth that said their stings were so powerful, they could kill a cow. This isn’t true tho.

23. Crane Fly

They look like giant mosquitoes, but fear not! They won’t hurt you! In fact, one of their nicknames is “mosquito eater.” But they don’t actually eat mosquitoes. At least, the adults don’t. They don’t even have the proper mouthparts to do that. Instead, Crane Flies feed on nectar, which makes them minor pollinators. So while they can get everywhere once they spawn, they’re not actually that big of a problem. And they’re super frail, so please be gentle if you want to hold them🤎.

24. Two-Spotted Longhorn Bee

Absolutely adorable! They don’t visit very often, but when they do, they like to visit the sage in the garden. I usually find them frequently the same plants as the Leafcutter bees.

25. Giant Water Bug

One of the coolest dudes ever. You’ll always find them anywhere wet, but please know that they can get BIG. They won’t charge after you, but they will bite if they feel threatened, and it will hurt. I’ve encountered these funky guys before, and I just admire them from a good distance.

26. Promachus Robber Flies

Promachus is also just a genus of robber fly (I don’t know how many species live in my state tho). I just think they look cool. And they’re good for pest control 👍.

27. Common Checkered Skipper

Cute little babies that are slightly blue. I have one in my bug collection.

28. Long-Tailed Skipper

Another cute little baby. And also blue! These things are pretty common in the garden, and I’m always happy to see them.

Reached the image count limit. I’ll post the second part in a bit.

[pile-of-bugs]

One night I found a diving beetle. A big one! This is possibly a vertical diving beetle, but either way it's a predaceous diving beetle. Meaning they feed on other invertebrates and sometimes even small fish or tadpoles!

Here you can get an idea for the size. Almost 2 inches long I'd say, and pretty wide too. These beetles breathe underwater by storing air in the form of a flat bubble under their elytra - the hard parts on the back of a beetle that defines them as, well, a beetle. They can stay underwater without coming up for air for... uhm... sources give conflicting answers, but AT LEAST 10 minutes is agreed upon. Possibly hours! And all they need to refresh their air supply is a quick trip to the surface!

This particular beetle is a male - you can tell by the octopus-like suckers in the 2nd picture here. Diving beetles are SO smooth, the males need the suckers to hold on during mating. They're streamlined to travel through the water - they need to be fast to catch their prey and avoid predators!

Another adaptation of diving beetles is that their back legs are flat and covered in special strands that give them the shape of an oar. This is to help them swim of course, but it makes them slow on land. So you'll rarely ever see one outside the water. However, if their pond dries up or they need to escape through the air for whatever reason - they CAN fly as well!

Diving beetles are NOT dangerous for humans, and are pretty neutral on the pest/helper scale. They eat the larvae of a lot of annoying bugs, but may also choke a pond's fish and frog populations by eating their young too. You can safely scoop one up (I recommend a net, they're slippery as hell) and hold it. Even if they try to bite, their bite is too weak to hurt you.

WARNING: Just be CAREFUL not to confuse a diving beetle for a Giant Water bug - they can look similar at a glance, but Giant Water bugs absolutely WILL fuck you up and give you severe injuries!!! They also usually inhabit the same ecosystems, so be careful before grabbing a huge swimming bug out of a body of water! And, if you're keeping either as a pet, keep them in a tank separate from any other creatures you might have (unless they're intentionally there as food).