Podura aquatica

Water springtails, Podura aquatica

The black water Springer ( Podura aquatica ), also called water springtail, is a common Sechsfüßer from the class of springtails that were traditionally counted among the sects or urine are. The distribution includes Europe, Siberia and North America.

Features

The gray - bluish to blackish colored animals reach a height of 1.1 to 1.5 mm and have relatively short legs and antennae. The locomotion jump serving fork ( furca or furcula ) is folded inward. This two-pronged body extension is surged with a muscle jerk backwards.

Way of life

Water Springer live on the surface of standing ponds - ponds and puddles longer existing - and often found in large accumulations. Sometimes take place outbreaks, so that the corresponding surface waters of individuals acting as sooty black. This is mainly due to the snow melts around puddles of forest roads on the case. The food consists of bacteria, algae and pollen grains floating on the water surface. The animals jump event of faults violently apart in all directions. They are so small and light that they are not only worn by the surface tension of the water, but be able to push off from the surface with their jumps even.

The species has a complex mating behavior, which includes an indirect Spermatophorenübertragung. On one side of a female, the male builds a "fence" of seed packets. It then pushes the female of the other side into the spermatophores.