Milky Backswimmers

Notonecta

Milky Backswimmers are small water bugs that love to swim upside down! They have special legs that help them glide through the water, making them fun to watch.

Lebensraum: Wetlands

Aussehen

The Milky Backswimmers has an elongated, somewhat flattened body, typically pale yellow, greenish, or brownish. Its most distinguishing feature is its milky, frosted-looking back which is its underside when it swims. This pale coloration helps it blend in while swimming upside down.

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Milky Backswimmers

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Milky Backswimmers can deliver a painful 'bite' if handled, earning them the nickname 'water bee'!

Their huge eyes let them see almost all around, making it hard for prey to hide!

They can often spend winter frozen solid in ice and then thaw out to live again!

To stay anchored underwater, they cleverly hook onto plants using tiny claws on their legs!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Milky Backswimmers has a silvery air bubble attached to its underside that helps them breathe underwater like a tiny scuba tank.

Milky Backswimmers can swim upside down because their strong hind legs propel them, helping them ambush prey from below.

Milky Backswimmers can paddle swiftly with their long, oar-like hind legs, allowing them to chase prey and escape danger quickly.

Milky Backswimmers can take to the air using strong wings, helping them find new ponds if their current home dries up.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 20-40 mm
Größe: 10-20 mm
Lebenserwartung: 90-365 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 7 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

These aquatic predators love to munch on other small creatures swimming in their watery homes!

Hauptnahrung

mosquito larvae
aquatic insects
small tadpoles
small fish

Nahrungssuche

Ambush

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

hunts

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Eats larvae and pupae.

hunts

Common Frog

Rana temporaria

Preys on tadpoles.

eaten by

European Perch

Perca fluviatilis

Eaten by fish.

eaten by

Mallard Duck

Anas platyrhynchos

Preyed upon by birds.

Merkmale

Gleitflug

Gleitende Tiere bewegen sich durch die Luft, indem sie sich abstoßen und den Flug mit speziellen Körperstrukturen aufrechterhalten, ohne mit den Flügeln zu schlagen.

Insektenfressend

Dieses Merkmal kennzeichnet Organismen, deren Nahrung hauptsächlich aus Insekten und anderen kleinen Wirbellosen besteht.

Feuchtgebiet

Dieses Lebensraummerkmal kennzeichnet Arten, die in Feuchtgebieten vorkommen. Dies sind Landflächen, die dauerhaft oder saisonal mit Wasser gesättigt sind, darunter Marschland, Sümpfe und Moore.