Notonecta undulata

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Notonecta undulata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Notonectidae
Genus: Notonecta
Species:
N. undulata
Binomial name
Notonecta undulata
Say, 1832  [1]
An image of a species of backswimmer under a microscope. Notonecta backswimmer17.jpg
An image of a species of backswimmer under a microscope.

Notonecta undulata, also known by the common name grousewinged backswimmer, are from the family Notonectidae and the insect suborder Heteroptera. They are a type of hemipteran or true bug. These aquatic insects typically spend their time at the water's surface, using their abdomen and legs to cling to the underside of the surface tension. The Grousewinged backswimmer can be found in both lotic and lentic environments; however, they typically prefer small ponds and lakes where the water is slow-moving with less current. They swim upside down looking for prey. Once they stop swimming they float back up to the surface. These insects can be distinguished from water boatman or Corixidae by their segmented beak and front legs. Water boatman have highly modified front legs whereas backswimmers do not. [2] Backswimmers are distributed across a broad range throughout North America. However, the species Notonecta undulata has only been documented and studied in southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the western United States. N. undulata differs from other backswimmers by their antennae and size. They are approximately 10–12 mm long, and their antennae are 4 segmented. [2]

Contents

Taxonomy and morphology

Notonecta undulata is the Linnaean name for the grousewinged backswimmer. This species is classified as a true bug under the suborder Heteroptera. They are located under the family Notonectidae, which is divided into two subfamilies: Notonectinae and Anisopinae. Individuals that are in the subfamily Notonectinae are distinguishable from their Anisopinae relatives by their 4-segmented beak and antennae. Insects from the subfamily Notonectinae are also larger, approximately 10–16 mm in length. N. undulata measure 10–12 mm. [2] Grousewinged backswimmers can range from a dull greenish yellow to black. The head of back is convex and the antennae are short and concealed beneath the eye. The scutellum is usually black with pale spots on the sides and at the apex. The hind tibiae and tarsus have dense bristle like hairs that make them appear oar-like. This allows them to be efficient swimmers; however, it has been documented that members of the genus Notonecta are not as good at swimming as Buenoa sp. The front and middle tarsi have apical claws; however, the hind tarsi are clawless. There are 5 points on the backswimmer that allow it to attach to the surface film of the water. [3] These 5 points include the anterior legs and the abdomen of the insect. There are receptors associated with each of these points that help the insect in locomotion and capturing prey. Grousewinged backswimmers also lack ocelli. The need to detect light was mostly likely lost through natural selection due to a variety of environmental pressures. Their beak is stout and the ventral surface of the abdomen has a prominent hairy keel. The front and middle legs are approximately one half shorter than the hind legs and the femur is enlarged basally. The wing membrane also has a large black spot on the median line and the hemelytra are pale. [2]

Prior to 1917, there had been no complete description of the Notonecta genus until H. B. Hungerford described the species N. undulata under the Kansas University Science Bulletin. Today, the species N. undulata is not well documented. Scientific literature and taxonomy referenced range between the 1920s and 1970s, with only a few articles published after the 1990s. Taxonomic classification of the species remains similar today as it did 40 years ago.

Habitat and ecology

N. undulata typically inhabit ponds and lakes but have been known to occupy small streams or rivers when resources become limited or competition in lentic environments is too high. [4] Backswimmers will maximize conditions by flying and seeking out areas to settle. It has also been tested that the Grousewinged backswimmer will have a higher dispersal rate when predation levels increase in the environment. [5] Ponds have a greater surface area to volume ratio of vegetation than lakes which increases the amount of hiding places and food for the insect. This makes ponds one of the best locations for the backswimmer. These insects may prefer ponds because the distribution of N. undualata depends on food supply. It has been found that ponds and wetlands have a higher diversity of organisms which is often related to nutrient and food resources. [6] Temperature can also affect the distribution of Grousewinged backswimmers. Scientific study has shown that N. undulata is capable of surviving over a wide range of temperatures and conditions. They have been known to withstand temperatures ranging from 4 to 32 °C and water hardness between 28 and 220 ppm. [7] In nature, they will avoid temperatures higher than 32 °C by flying and searching out new locations; however, they can withstand them for short periods of time through the use of their cuticular lipid monolayer. This physiological adaptation allows them to uptake water and avoid dehydration when temperatures get too high. [7] The pH level of water can also affect the backswimmer's choice of habitat or niche. N. undulata has been documented to prefer pH levels between 6.0 and 7.1, a relatively normal water acidity. Environmental factors such as pH, temperature and trophic interactions affect the ecology of the Grousewinged backswimmer.

Predator prey interactions are another factor affecting backswimmer ecology. Notonecta are generalist predators that attack and consume many types of aquatic invertebrates and terrestrial prey that fall on the surface of the water. [8] They are known to prey on small crustaceans, nymphs and adults of corixids, dragonfly nymphs, caddisflies and fish eggs. [9] Specifically, N. undulata prefers to eat mosquito larvae over any other type of invertebrate. Studies have been conducted between the Grousewinged backswimmer and Aedes aegypti , a type of mosquito that has been known to act as a vector for malaria and yellow fever. As a consequence, N. undulata has been suggested as a prudent biological control. [10]

Reproduction

The grousewinged backswimmer is bivoltine. [11] Females of the first generation become adults and reproductively mature in July producing a second generation. The adults that become mature after July enter reproductive diapause which ends by late October. All N. undulata will overwinter in the adult stage and begin depositing eggs in the early spring. Eggs develop through 5 nymphal instars during the spring and summer. [12] The preoviposition period lasts 16 days and eggs tend to be laid in ponds or calmer lakes rather than fast-flowing streams. The eggs are attached to plants or other suspended objects within the water column. They are elongate ovals, usually 1.7 mm x 0.6 mm. The incubation period lasts 5–14 days and oviposition is continuous in summer. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemiptera</span> Order of insects often called true bugs

Hemiptera is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from 1 mm (0.04 in) to around 15 cm (6 in), and share a common arrangement of piercing-sucking mouthparts. The name "true bugs" is often limited to the suborder Heteroptera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayfly</span> Aquatic insects of the order Ephemeroptera

Mayflies are aquatic insects belonging to the order Ephemeroptera. This order is part of an ancient group of insects termed the Palaeoptera, which also contains dragonflies and damselflies. Over 3,000 species of mayfly are known worldwide, grouped into over 400 genera in 42 families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerridae</span> Family of true bugs

The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, or water skimmers. Consistent with the classification of the Gerridae as true bugs, gerrids have mouthparts evolved for piercing and sucking, and distinguish themselves by having the unusual ability to walk on water, making them pleuston (surface-living) animals. They are anatomically built to transfer their weight to be able to run on top of the water's surface. As a result, one could likely find water striders present in any pond, river, or lake. Over 1,700 species of gerrids have been described, 10% of them being marine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corixidae</span> Family of true bugs

Corixidae is a family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera. They are found worldwide in virtually any freshwater habitat and a few species live in saline water. There are about 500 known species worldwide, in 55 genera, including the genus Sigara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veliidae</span> Family of true bugs

Veliidae is a family of gregarious predatory insects in the suborder Heteroptera. They are commonly known as riffle bugs, small water striders, or broad-shouldered water striders because the segment immediately behind the head is wider than the rest of the abdomen. The genus Rhagovelia is also referred to as a ripple bug.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notonectidae</span> Family of true bugs

Notonectidae is a cosmopolitan family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly called backswimmers because they swim "upside down" (inverted). They are all predators and typically range from 0.5 to 1.5 cm (0.2–0.6 in) in length. They are similar in appearance to Corixidae, but can be separated by differences in their dorsal-ventral coloration, front legs, and predatory behavior. Their dorsum is convex, lightly colored without cross striations. Their front tarsi are not scoop-shaped and their hind legs are fringed for swimming. There are about 350 species in two subfamilies: Notonectinae with seven genera, and Anisopinae with four genera. Members in the former subfamily are often larger than those in the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belostomatidae</span> Family of true bugs

Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs, alligator ticks, or alligator fleas. They are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera. There are about 170 species found in freshwater habitats worldwide, with more than 110 in the Neotropics, more than 20 in Africa, almost as many in the Nearctic, and far fewer elsewhere. These predators are typically encountered in freshwater ponds, marshes and slow-flowing streams. Most species are at least 2 cm (0.8 in) long, although smaller species, down to 0.9 cm (0.35 in), also exist. The largest are members of the genus Lethocerus, which can exceed 12 cm (4.5 in) and nearly reach the length of some of the largest beetles in the world. Giant water bugs are a popular food in parts of Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nepomorpha</span> Infraorder of true bugs

Nepomorpha is an infraorder of insects in the "true bug" order (Hemiptera). They belong to the "typical" bugs of the suborder Heteroptera. Due to their aquatic habits, these animals are known as true water bugs. They occur all over the world outside the polar regions, with about 2,000 species altogether. The Nepomorpha can be distinguished from related Heteroptera by their missing or vestigial ocelli. Also, as referred to by the obsolete name Cryptocerata, their antennae are reduced, with weak muscles, and usually carried tucked against the head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velvet water bug</span> Family of true bugs

Velvet water bugs are members of the family Hebridae. They are semiaquatic insects that live among moss or ponds with an abundance of vegetation, in which they prey on small arthropods. Velvet water bugs are the smallest of the Gerromorpha, and have an appearance of tiny veliids. Hebrids sometimes move across water surfaces, but walk or run rather than skate or scull on the surface.

<i>Notonecta glauca</i> Species of true bug

Notonecta glauca is a species of aquatic insect, and a type of backswimmer. This species is found in large parts of Europe, North Africa, and east through Asia to Siberia and China. In much of its range it is the most common backswimmer species. It is also the most widespread and abundant of the four British backswimmers. Notonecta glauca are Hemiptera predators, that are approximately 13–16 mm in length. Females have a larger body size compared to males. These water insects swim and rest on their back and are found under the water surface. Notonecta glauca supports itself under the water surface by using their front legs and mid legs and the back end of its abdomen and rest them on the water surface; They are able to stay under the water surface by water tension, also known as the air-water interface. They use the hind legs as oars; these legs are fringed with hair and, when at rest, are extended laterally like a pair of sculls in a boat. Notonecta glauca will either wait for its prey to pass by or will swim and actively hunt its prey. When the weather is warm, usually in the late summer and autumn, they will fly between ponds. Notonecta glauca reproduce in the spring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pleidae</span> Family of true bugs

Pleidae, the pygmy backswimmers, is a family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera. There are 37 species in three genera, distributed across most of the world, except the polar regions and remote oceanic islands.

<i>Halobates</i> Genus of true bugs

Halobates or sea skaters are a genus with over 40 species of water striders. Most Halobates species are coastal and typically found in sheltered marine habitats, but five live on the surface of the open ocean and only occur near the coast when storms blow them ashore. These are the only known truly oceanic, offshore insects. They are found in tropical and subtropical marine habitats around the world, with a single species recorded in rivers a few kilometers upstream from the ocean. Halobates are generally very common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phymata crassipes</span> Species of true bug

Phymata crassipes is a species of assassin and thread-legged bugs belonging to the family Reduviidae, subfamily Phymatinae.

<i>Abedus</i> Genus of true bugs

Abedus is a genus of giant water bugs found in freshwater habitats in southern United States, Mexico and Central America. Sometimes called ferocious water bugs, these brown insects typically are between 2.3 and 4 cm (0.9–1.6 in) long, although A. immaculatus only is about 1.3–1.4 cm (0.51–0.55 in), making it the smallest North American belostomatid and possibly worthy of separation in its own genus. Otherwise the different Abedus species are very similar and can often only be separated with a microscope. They will bite in self-defense, which is painful but not dangerous.

<i>Notonecta maculata</i> Species of true bug

Notonecta maculata is a backswimmer of the family Notonectidae, found in Europe, including the United Kingdom.

<i>Belostoma flumineum</i> Species of true bug

Belostoma flumineum is a North American species of giant water bug. They are a common predator in ponds and wetlands. They are relatively large, reaching 2–2.5 cm (0.79–0.98 in) in length. As with other species of the Belostomatidae family, the fathers take care of the offspring. Exclusive paternal care has been the focus of many studies done on this species. Other studies have been done on food webs and predation pressure using this species because they are an apex predator in their preferred habitats.

<i>Lethocerus patruelis</i> Species of true bug

Lethocerus patruelis is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is native to southeastern Europe, through Southwest Asia, to Pakistan, India and Burma. It is the largest European true bug and aquatic insect. Adult females are typically 7–8 cm (2.8–3.1 in) long, while the adult males are 6–7 cm (2.4–2.8 in).

<i>Ephemera vulgata</i> Species of mayfly

Ephemera vulgata is a species of mayfly in the genus Ephemera. This mayfly breeds in stationary water in slow rivers and in ponds, the nymphs developing in the mud.

Gerris buenoi is a species of water strider that belongs to the family Gerridae. It was first identified in 1911 and is native to continental USA and Canada. Individuals of this species are small in size and have modified appendages, allowing them to float and "skate" along the surface of the water. G. buenoi can be found near the shoreline of freshwater ponds and small lakes, where they hunt for terrestrial insects that have fallen into the water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant mesquite bug</span> Species of insect

The giant mesquite bug is an insect of the order Hemiptera, or the "true bugs". As a member of the family Coreidae, it is a leaf-footed bug. As the common name implies, it is a large bug that feeds on mesquite trees of the American Southwest and Northwestern Mexico.

References

  1. ↑ "Notonecta undulata Say, 1832". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Brooks, Arthur R.; Kelton, Leonard A. (1972). "Aquatic and Semiaquatic Heteroptera of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba (Hemiptera)". Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada. 51: 38–41.
  3. ↑ Murphey, R. K.; Mendenhall, Barbara (1973). "Localization of receptors controlling orientation to the prey by backswimmer Notonecta undulata". Journal of Comparative Physiology. 84: 19–30. doi:10.1007/BF00694144.
  4. ↑ Streams, Frederick A. (1982). "Diel Foraging and Reproductive Periodicity in Notonecta undulata Say (Heteroptera)". Aquatic Insects. 4 (2): 111–119. doi:10.1080/01650428209361092.
  5. ↑ McCauley, Shannon J.; Rowe, Locke (2010). "Notonecta exhibit threat-sensitive, predator induced dispersal". Biology Letters. 6 (4): 449–452. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2009.1082. PMC   2936218 . PMID   20164083.
  6. ↑ Dodds, Walter; Whiles, Matt (2010). Fresh Water Ecology: concepts and environmental factors of limnology (2nd ed.). Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.134.6098 .
  7. 1 2 Ellis, R. A.; Borden, J. H. (1969). "Effects of temperature and other environmental factors on Notonecta undulata (Hemiptera:Notonectidae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 45: 20–29.
  8. ↑ Streams, F. A. (1994). "Effect of Prey Size on attack Components of the Functional Response by Notonecta undulata". Oecologia. 98 (1): 57–63. Bibcode:1994Oecol..98...57S. doi:10.1007/bf00326090. PMID   28312796.
  9. ↑ Clark, L. B. (1928). "Seasonal Distribution and Life History of Notonecta undulata in the Winnipeg Region of Canada". Ecology. 9 (4): 383–403. doi:10.2307/1929407. JSTOR   1929407.
  10. ↑ Toth, Robert S.; Chew, Robert M. (1972). "Development and Energetics of Notonecta undulata during predation on Culex tarsalis". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 63 (6): 1270–1281.
  11. 1 2 Merritt, R.W.; Cummins, K.W.; Berg, M.B., eds. (2008). An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America (4th ed.). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. ISBN   9780757550492.
  12. ↑ Vanderlin, Robert L.; Streams, Frederick A. (1977). "Photoperiodic Control of Reproductive Diapause in Notonecta undulata". Environmental Entomology. 6 (2): 258–262. doi:10.1093/ee/6.2.258.
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