Helochares obscurus

The Matte colored pond beetle ( Helochares obscurus ) is a beetle of the family of water beetles ( Hydrophilidae ).

Features

Matte colored pond beetles are up to seven millimeters long. The chitin armor is shiny brown on the elytra it is covered with small dots. The body shape is elongated oval. The head is from the rest of the body significantly. The antennae are brown, relatively short and thickened like a piston at the end. The buttons at the top are quite long, the legs are brown.

Synonyms

• Hydrophilus erythrocephalus Fabricius, 1792
• Hydrophilus variegatus Fall, 1797
• Helochares subcompressus Rey, 1885
• Helochares substriatus J. Sahlberg, 1903

Occurrence

The Matte colored pond beetle is widespread in Europe. He is often, sometimes even to be found in small stagnant water in puddles.

Way of life

The beetles swimming underwater with regular movements of the legs that act like running. To seek out new habitats, the animals fly across the country. His breath stores the pond beetles under the elytra. For breath he sticks his head out of the water and directs the fresh breath of air over the sensor on the wing covers. The beetles feed on purely vegetarian of aquatic plants. After mating, the females are expanding web of threads that they produce themselves, a cocoon, in the place it the eggs. This cocoon wearing the females on the abdomen around with them until the larvae hatch. These feed on aquatic plants and small invertebrates. They pupate on land. From the doll slips of finished beetle.

Credentials

• Water beetles