Notonecta glauca

Common backstroke swimmer ( Notonecta glauca )

The common back swimmer ( Notonecta glauca ) is a water bug ( Nepomorpha ) from the family of backstroke ( Notonectidae ). The special characteristic of this type as well as the more representative of the backstroke is that they always swim with the ventral side up. This striking swimming position resulting from the ventral to the abdomen entrained air supply.

Features

The bugs reach body lengths of 13.5 to 16 millimeters. The belly is flat. The back side is convex boat-shaped and the blades are placed a roof shape. The tag ( scutellum ) of the animals is colored black, his margin is longer than the Clavusnaht. The tip of the membrane are approximately equal in length. The front corners of the pronotum ( pronotum ) are blunt and rounded. Its posterior margin is straight. The half- Ceiling ( Hemielytren ) are yellow -gray, yellow, white, yellow red or green white in color and often spotted with black or brown. The back of the abdomen is plain dyed black or brown - in contrast to similar Notonecta maculata, which carry in front and behind a yellow transverse band on the abdomen. The hind legs are characterized by floating hair, which automatically fan out while swimming. The insects swimming in the supine position, as most of the breath on the underside of the abdomen in two, each part occupied with dense hair rows of air channels is maintained.

Occurrence

The species occurs throughout Europe, east to the east of Siberia and Central Asia to China before. It comes in the Alps to about 1,800 meters above sea level before, is the most common species in the genus in Central Europe and is often to be found everywhere. Common Rückenschwimmer live in almost all standing and slowly flowing waters and also colonize heavily eutrophicated waters. In acidic bog waters and brackish water, they are rare.

Way of life

The adults like all kinds of her family feed on prey on the living in the water or fallen into the water small animals, such as insects and tadpoles and are good swimmers. The species develops in one generation per year and overwinters as Imago. Mating is usually held after the winter, but can also take place in the fall. The females pierce their approximately 200 eggs from February to April, with its short ovipositor ( ovipositor ) in a plant material. The parent generation dies to May, the imagines of the new generation are fully developed after five molts from late July and early August. In autumn you look back float fly frequently. Since they are good fliers, they also set back large distances and can easily colonize new waters.