Pond Skater | also known as a water strider, lives its entire life on or around water. скачать в хорошем качестве

Pond Skater | also known as a water strider, lives its entire life on or around water.

But unlike many other aquatic insects, it has the ability to glide serenely across the surface as if by magic. These bugs are an integral part of the ecosystem wherever they’re found. They keep the populations of other insects in check. The pond skater can dash across the water at up to a hundred body lengths per second. Male and female pond skaters have evolved an antagonistic reproductive relationship. Females have a shield on their genitals to protect against forced copulation. But males have also evolved the ability to copulate in a way that exposes the female to potential predators, thus forcing her to submit quickly. This antagonistic relationship is all about controlling the spread of the individual’s genes to the next generation. The pond skater female will carry between two and 20 eggs at a time. She lays them on rocks or vegetation just underneath the water. The pond skater undergoes five different nymph stages in its life cycle, each of which lasts up to 10 days and ends with the insect molting its skin. It reaches the adult phase in its life cycle after two months or so. Many species have a lifespan of only about a year, which gives them a single chance to reproduce before they die. The pond skater is characterized by a slender body, three pairs of long, sinewy legs, and retractable claws. The entire brown or black-colored body is covered in tiny, water-repellent hairs that trap air and prevent the insect from sinking. They can support up to 15 times the entire insect’s weight, allowing it to stay buoyant even in heavy rainstorms.