Marine Insects Photos Courtesy of Dr Lanna Cheng, —And the Strange Case of the Halobates University of California-San Diego and Sea Skater, Halobates
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science Walking on Water Text by Michael Symes Marine Insects Photos courtesy of Dr Lanna Cheng, —and the strange case of the Halobates University of California-San Diego and Sea skater, Halobates. Photo courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography-La Jolla Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla When we think of the animals about 5 million species is probably the of the oceans our first thoughts most accurate. (Gaston, KJ. 1991. The magnitude of global insects species rich- are generally of whales, sharks, ness. Conservation Biology 5: 283-96). dolphins, tuna fish, and perhaps Thus, only about 20 % of the global insect octopusses. All these have been fauna is probably known and named. in the news lately, also in this Big numbers magazine, for reasons regarding Insects comprise more than 75 percent their behaviour or exploitation. of all described animal species. Some These are large animals, and 30,000 to 40,000 insect species, i.e. just 3 like the lesser food fishes such to 4 percent of all insects, are aquatic, or have aquatic larval stages, and live in all as salmon and herring, we have sorts of watery habitats. About 9,000 spe- many reasons for our interest in cies (mostly bugs and beetles) have all them. However, even the very stages under or on water. In about 30,000 species only the larval stage is aquatic small acquatic creatures such (flies, mosquitos). as krill and zooplankton are Insects are found throughout the world important because they are at except near the poles and, with but a the bottom of the food chains of single exception, pervade every habi- tat except the sea. Some are found at the larger fish which themselves depths of 1,300 meters in Lake Baikal, again are food for those at the some are to be found only in rain-filled top of the chains, we humans. tree holes, while others inhabit caves and Thus, all marine life in someway underground aquifiers. Map of A Marine Chironomid (midge) habi- A Marine Chironomid (midge) Freshwater habitats are the only aquat- tat. Pontomia are found only in lagoons or other is important to us. Photo by Dr Lanna Cheng, University of California-San Diego ic habitats where insects dominate. In or tide pools in the Indo-Pacific. Illustration saltwater and brackish habitats, crusta- courtesy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln There is one important common factor in the oceans, that which lives by or on the University Press) there are approximately cea (the next most numerous arthropod) Department of Entomology the examples of marine life given above. ocean but not in it at all. Here I am think- 926,400 described species of extant dominate. Although only 3% of all insects They all have their prime existence in the ing about the marine insects. hexapods i.e. insects. Estimates of the are aquatic for some part of their life Impact water, i.e. at least partially below the According to an excellent, newly total number of insect species vary from cycle, insects make up more than 90% Despite their low numbers compared to surface. We rarely, if ever, consider the published book (Evolution of the Insects, about 2 million species to 30 million spe- of small creatures found in mountain the terrestrial insects, marine insects still other sort of animal life associated with D Grimaldi, M S Engel, Cambridge cies and more. However, an estimate of streams. have a tremendous impact on man. Flies 56 X-RAY MAG : 6 : 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED science Marine Insects are the most numerous and is much more oxygen in air underwater. A skin of air economically important (20%), and water is much that is trapped by hairs on species of marine insects. heavier than air. the body or under the wing Water scorpion The disease-bearing mos- So, to extract oxygen from covers (Water Beetle). The quitoes, biting horse flies, water, an animal will have insect breathes the air in the deer flies, and midges have to process a lot of water bubble through the holes in impeded the human devel- to get the same amount its abdomen (spiracles) just opment of enormous areas of oxygen. That is prob- like other insects. of coastal land. And other ably one reason why adult marine flies can transmit dis- aquatic insects continue Making the best eases such as Leishmaniasis. to breathe air instead of of both worlds Unlike the dominating developing gills. Usually only Living on the margin of land-based insects, howev- aquatic insect larvae devel- water and air, many aquat- er, the marine insects have op gills to absorb oxygen ic insects have developed additional prob- ingenious ways lems to overcome to sense the Whirligig Beetle live in their fight for sur- world and to on the surface of the vival. For example, move around. water at the edges how do aquatic Most aquatic of lakes and streams. insects avoid insects are sen- They are 5-25 mm drowning? Most sitive to water long and are named insects that land on ripples to detect so, because they swim in circles water are trapped predators or by the water sur- prey. Some even face tension and create their own tiny ones can even ripples on the drown inside a water surface water droplet, una- and process the ble to break out of returning “ech- the bubble surface. oes” to detect Aquatic insects prey. Many also cope by having a Pond Skater create ripples to waterproofed skin find mates and so the water doesn’t get from the water. So, how do communicate with each into the body. Many are aquatic insects obtain their other (Whirligig Beetle, Pond covered with a water-repel- oxygen? Skater). lent waxy layer. They also Like mosquito larva and In a double-vision adap- usually have hairy or waxy water scorpion, they can tation the Whirligig Beetle legs which repel water so snorkel with a breathing has eyes divided horizon- they don’t get trapped by tube. The end of the tube tally to see both under and the water surface tension. usually has bristles to break above water. This is very the water surface tension useful when predators can The oxygen problem and keep the tube open. attack you from both below There is very little oxygen in This method, however, and above. water (as low as 0.4% and doesn’t allow the insect to Many paddle underwa- often zero). Water contains travel far from the water sur- ter with oar-like legs. These less oxygen the warmer it face. legs are long, flattened and A mosquite larva uses a snorkel-like breathing is. This is why there is often Others have a scuba fringed. The hairy fringes tube at the posterior end of its abdomen more life in a cool pond tank. These “divers” create spread out on the power shaded by trees and in an “air tank” for greater stroke increasing the surface temperate climates. There freedom of movement area, and bend in on the 57 X-RAY MAG : 6 : 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED science Marine Insects face tension. In this way, the water sur- ocean. The secret is the tiny water-repel- face tension on the front pulls it forwards. lent hairs on their legs and feet that allow It shoots forwards on its front feet which them to “tiptoe” across the surface of are held out like skis, and steers itself by the water. These hairs also help to spread flexing its abdomen. This tiny bee- the insects’ weight over a larger tle is the size of a rice grain surface area, preventing but can travel nearly 1m them from sinking. a second this way. It The surface tension of doesn’t hunt on water, the air-sea interface but at the water’s allows them to stand edge, and saves or move on the Marine Skater Eggs on a floating Spirulla this trick to escape water at a speed as shell. Even though Halobates live their predators. fast as one meter A map of the world-wide distribution of entire lives on the ocean, they require per second. As long Just one genus the marine insect, Sea Skater, Halobates. floating objects upon which to place The Halobates as the surface ten- living on the oceans The known distribution is displayed in their eggs. These objects can include As we have seen sion is maintained, But why is there only just this one sin- white. There are five known species of floating seashells, sea bird feathers, above, marine sea skaters are able gle genus of insect living on the open Halobates distributed around the earth pieces of wood, plastic or lumps of tar. approximately between latitutdes 40- insects have devel- to move normally. If oceans? The five known species of The eggs, which are often crowded degrees south and north of the equator. on small objects due to the lack of oped succesful the surface tension is Halobates are distributed around the Questions remain about whether the available egg deposit sites, are rather strategies for survival lowered by pollutants world roughly between latitudes 40- insects require the warm ocean waters large in size compared to the body size in an aqueous envi- or detergents, they flop degrees north or south of the equator. in this region or whether they are dis- of the female who produces 10 to 20 ronment. However, if we on the surface and eventu- Do Halobates require these warm waters, tributed more widely but scientists have matured eggs at a time.