The spinning float is a swimming champion among beetles

The float beetle or spinning beetle is a unique creation of nature; its abilities can sometimes amaze lovers of flora and fauna.

Today, there are more than 800 species of these wonderful animals, which mostly live in the tropics, just like the weevil.

It seems incredible, but, nevertheless, it is a fact that this type of beetle is capable of not only flying, but also diving under water and sliding along its surface.

It constantly moves in the water without rest and hunts for small insects.

Appearance

— Imago

The size of the beetle reaches from 4-8 to 4-5 mm. The head of an adult has two pairs of eyes, the eyes located on the top of the head are intended for viewing the territory during flight, and the other pair located on the sides closer to the neck is used for the underwater environment.

The body of the beetle has an oval shape and a fairly hard frame; the color of the upper side of the body is shiny or blue-black. It has a pair of well-developed membranous wings, which are located under strong elytra.

Also, our wonderful character is endowed with three pairs of limbs; the first pair is long and thin, it is used for catching prey. It has very sharp lower jaws, which, if caught, the prey will have no chance of escape.

The middle and rear pair of legs serve the beetle for comfortable movement in the water column and on its surface; the limbs resemble the shape of oars no more than 2-3 mm long.

— Larva

The body of the larva is quite thin and long, more than 15 mm, almost two or three times longer than the adult beetle, consisting of thirteen segments.

Limbs for movement appear only on the first three segments of the body. For more convenient movement, they are equipped with small teeth in the form of hooks. Gill appendages; They help the larvae breathe under water; they are located on the last ten segments of the body.

Swimming beetle description

This large insect belongs to the order Coleoptera. Since its main habitat is water bodies, the diving beetle species ideally contributes to this way of life: the most streamlined and smooth upper cover; a head attached to the body without a neck; flat hind legs in the form of oars, front legs with sharp hooks for clinging to seaweed. The structure of the swimming beetle is aimed at facilitating the movement of individuals of this species in the water column: its low weight facilitates easy ascent to the surface, but the diving beetle requires significant effort to dive. When the reservoir dries out, the beetles are forced to fly to a new habitat.

Insects go through a full development cycle from eggs to beetles, and adult diving beetles reach 4 cm in length. They prefer standing bodies of water such as a pond, a large puddle, or a lake, where they mainly hunt tadpoles, newts, small fish, and worms. In extreme cases, algae can be used as food. Swimming beetles are ruthless predators. Unlike other beetles, which kill their prey before eating, they devour the prey alive, tearing off pieces from it.

Males differ from females by the presence of special “plates” on their front legs: they help keep the females in place during mating.

Lifestyle

These are very energetic inhabitants of the water surface of almost any body of water. On warm, hot summer days, they gather in small groups and quickly circle on the surface of the water.

The larvae spend their entire lives under water, they are fierce predators, catch small insects and, with the help of their mouthparts, in which the suction mechanism (channel) is located, are able to suck out the entrails from their prey in the shortest possible time.

We also note that the spinning beetle is the fastest swimmer of all animals of its species living in the aquatic environment; it is capable of developing incredibly high speed and covering a distance of one meter in one second. To develop such speed, he is helped by the middle and paddle-shaped limbs, which carry out 60 strokes (stroke) in 1 second .

In cloudy or cloudy weather, they hide under water, under dense coastal vegetation or on the shore. Imago is able to survive winter

, and in the spring they begin to mate.

In the period from August to September they can be observed in large numbers in reservoirs, this is due to the fact that at this time the season of transformation from pupae into adult floater beetles begins.

What do cockchafers eat?

In April-May, the female diving beetle lays 2.25 mm eggs on the stems or leaves of plants, from which larvae emerge after 2-3 weeks. They reproduce in large numbers in ponds, causing great harm, destroying fish larvae and fry.

Bedbugs destroy significant quantities of small aquatic animals and their larvae, which are food for fish. In addition, they cause great harm: they are carried in spawning ponds, destroying; larvae and fry of fish. Bedbugs reproduce in large numbers in bodies of water.

Enemies of fish larvae and fry:

1-2 - big water lover; 3 - its larva; 4-5 small water lover; 6 - its larva; 7-8 - swimmers; 9 - their larva; 10 - ilnik; 11 - its larva; 12 - gargle; 13 - its larva; 14 - tinkle; 15 - its larva; 16 - rower; 17 - its larva; 18 - motley rower; 19 - its larva; 20 - pond snail

Aquatic bugs include the water strider, water strider, water scorpion, ranatra, gladipp, and corixa.

Water scorpion (Nepa cinerea). Its bites are very painful for humans. Eggs are laid as pendants on aquatic plants.

Plautus (Neucoris cimicoides). The bug-like creature is 1.5 cm long and has oar-shaped legs, with which it swims quickly.

Cylindrical eggs are laid in ponds.

Gladysh (Notonecta glauca). It differs from its relatives in that it floats on its back. The female lays eggs on plants. After hatching from the egg, the offspring are similar to the adults, emerging in May.

It should be noted that water bugs catch larvae and fry, but do not eat them, but absorb them. They are combated by draining and liming ponds.

Dragonfly larvae (Aeshana spec, and Libellula spec.) are dangerous predators for young fish.

Dragonfly larvae have a mask. The lower jaw suddenly extends and grabs the larva or fry, after which the dragonfly crushes the victim with its mouthparts and swallows it. All dragonfly larvae are bottom settlers, which makes them difficult to destroy.

Here it is necessary to liming and draining reservoirs, removing from them plants on which dragonfly eggs are laid.

Plankton. Of all the planktonic invertebrates in ponds, Cyclops is the most dangerous for the larvae of carp, white and bighead carp, grass carp and other fish species that still feed on the yolk sac.

Cyclops

Getting into the incubation apparatus with water, it causes significant harm, attacking sedentary and helpless larvae. The cyclops causes damage both in trays for raising larvae and in spawning ponds. In this regard, water from reservoirs must be passed through mill gas filters.

Large numbers of fish are destroyed by rats, ferrets, cats and many other animals.

Predatory fish such as perch, pike, rotan, American catfish, etc. also cause a lot of harm.

Water bugs and dragonfly larvae:

1 - smooth bug; 2 - water scorpion; 3 - floating; 4 sodium; 5 - dragonfly larva: a, c - mask pressed; b,d the mask is thrown away

Nutrition

Basically, its diet is not very varied; the daily menu may include mosquito larvae, and sometimes it can eat carrion: dead cockchafers that have fallen into the water, hornets, paper wasps and other insects.

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How does a ground beetle enter a human home?

This pest is found not only in the garden or vegetable garden, but also in apartments, country houses, and also in private houses. They penetrate into a person’s home as follows:

• Beetles and larvae can appear in the house along with wood, as well as with street garbage.
• These insects are attracted to the smell of pet food if they are not taken care of and food remains are left behind.
• Ground beetles easily enter the house through open windows and doors. Therefore, it is advisable to install mosquito nets on the windows and cover the doorways with transparent fabric.
• These beetles can live in old furniture, under window sills, in crevices of window frames, etc.
• In addition, housewives often find them among bulk food products.

Reproduction and development cycle

After hibernation from March to April, they begin the breeding season. After a while, the female lays eggs on aquatic plants. After a few weeks, the hatched larvae do not look at all like their parents; the appearance of the larvae is described above.

When the time comes, she will walk along the plant to the shore and begin building a cell of mud. This is not an easy task, so she spends a lot of energy and effort, since the larva is unadapted for life on the surface of the earth.

After all the procedures, the larva spins a cocoon; it will remain in the pupated state until mid-August.

Twirly

The whirligig (Gyrinus) belongs to the order of beetles and belongs to the family of whirligigs (Gyrinidae).

These small shiny bugs scuttle amazingly quickly on the calm surface of the waters, describing circles and spirals. They are usually found in whole flocks; Sparkling in the sun, the whirligigs animatedly plow the water. Scared by the approach of an observer, they quickly move away from the shore or dive. It takes some dexterity to catch them with a net.

The movements of the whirligigs are observed on excursions by placing the animals in a flat plate of water. Water should be poured no more than 0.5 cm, otherwise the beetles dive and it is not possible to see their movements on the surface of the water. The spinner is the best swimmer among aquatic beetles. The dexterity and speed of her circular movements are inimitable. When swimming, the bug exposes its convex dorsal side to the surface - black, blue-black or greenish, with a bright metallic sheen, smooth like a mirror. Feet remain under water. To examine their structure, let a bug crawl along the palm of your hand. It is easy to see that both rear pairs of legs are greatly shortened and expanded, like fins or flippers. By hitting the water with them, the bug develops a speed that surprises us while swimming. The fatty lubricant covering the body reduces friction with water and promotes speed of movement.

Twister (Gyrinus). Increased On the left is an adult beetle; on the right is the larva.

The breathing of a whirligig is easy to observe if you let it swim not in a plate, but in a deeper vessel, for example, in a glass of water. The bug immediately dives, taking with it a spherical air bubble at the rear end of its abdomen. Consequently, the whirligig has not an aquatic, but an air type of respiration, like terrestrial beetles.

Nutrition. The whirligig is a predator and feeds on small aquatic animals. Despite the fact that the bug spins on the surface of the water, the structure of its eyes allows it to simultaneously navigate what is happening in the water element and look out for prey. Looking at the eyes of the spinner, you will notice that each eye is divided into two parts, lower and upper. The lower part of the eye is adapted for underwater vision, the upper part is adapted for aerial vision. The animal's double life - on the border between the water and the air - left its mark on its senses.

The protective devices of the spiny bug can be well demonstrated on an excursion by inviting one of the excursionists to catch the bug with their fingers from a plate of water. The bug successfully dodges the pursuing fingers, and it is extremely difficult to grab it in this way. It is recommended to smell the caught bug, lightly squeezing it between your fingers. A pungent odor is felt, reminiscent of the smell of valerian drops, which depends on the caustic volatile substance secreted by the whirligig from special anal glands lying in the back of the abdomen. It can be assumed that this smell scares away animals, which sometimes attack the wigglers.

Reproduction. Sometimes an excursionist’s net catches the larvae of whirligigs, which, like the larvae of other aquatic beetles, lead a predatory lifestyle under water. They differ from most other beetle larvae in that they bear paired tracheal gills on body segments. Thanks to water respiration, these larvae never rise to the surface of the water and are relatively rarely encountered on excursions.

Red Book

Based on the total number of individuals living on Earth, one conclusion can be drawn that this type of insect is not in danger.

However, one must take into account the fact that every year humanity clogs thousands of freshwater bodies of water, which can negatively affect their population as a whole.

The main culprits are newly opened production zones that release chemicals (waste) into nearby rivers and lakes, which has a detrimental effect not only on the population of these beetles, but also on all living organisms living in these bodies of water.

Unique insect abilities

May beetles fly at a speed of three meters per second - quite good for a small creature. In good weather conditions, they cover up to twenty kilometers per day. The flight altitude of the insect ranges from six to one hundred meters. The flight goal of all varieties of the cockchafer is always green spaces. The eastern insect prefers the nearest forest or tall trees. And western cockchafers orient themselves during flight to the highest objects in the distance, as a rule, these are forests.

A feature of these unique insects is their ability to find the right path. Studying the habits of the beetle, biologists caught them and moved them to a completely different place, releasing them after a couple of days. No matter how incredible it may seem, the insects took the same course, as if they were programmed to fly in a certain direction.

It is still unknown how beetles navigate. On the one hand, they determine the direction by the sun, but on the other hand, they fly perfectly even in the evening, when there is no sun. Apparently, polarized light is enough for them to understand where to move. Biologists even suggest that cockchafers are able to remember their surroundings, focusing on the most noticeable objects.

Tiredness in pigeons: treatment with folk remedies

Among poultry farmers who keep pigeons, there is an opinion that herbs and some time-tested methods can be used against whirligig. One such recipe is a mixture of egg yolks with milk, ground garlic and grain feed. The drug is administered orally for several days. Some veterinarians recommend giving belladonna as a homeopathic remedy. Belladonna helps to overcome this insidious disease, and with excellent results.

Vitamin B1 deficiency

Hypovitaminosis B1 occurs in young and adult pigeons, but more often it is detected during periods of intense metabolism (during growth, egg laying, mating). This vitamin is not synthesized in the body. It is detected in the intestinal flora - when supplied with food, B1 is absorbed in the small intestine. Insufficient supply of thiamine causes damage to the peripheral motor nerves and leads to symptoms of spinal cord. The vitamin is present in:

• shell and germs of grains, seeds;
• yeast;
• herbal flour;
• sprouts.

The norm of these products in case of hypovitaminosis is increased. In severe cases, injections and the introduction of thiamine chloride into the food are indicated. The norm is 2 mg/1 kg of feed mixture.

Processing and disinfection

As soon as a sick bird is discovered, it must be housed separately to avoid contact with healthy birds. It is necessary to disinfect the pigeon room. Thoroughly treat all surfaces and equipment used for cleaning. These activities are carried out for 5 days from the moment a sick pigeon is discovered, and then another 14 days after the last individual recovers.

Another preventive measure is mandatory disinfection every 30 days, even if there are no manifestations of any diseases.

It is important to remember that not only sick birds can spread the virus. It is carried on eggshells and inventory items. It also affects things in the immediate vicinity of the dovecote. A person can also become a source of infection, as well as protective clothing that has not undergone timely disinfection. No less dangerous spreaders of pseudoplague are feather mites that parasitize pigeons.

It is important to remember that each strain requires its own disinfectant to neutralize.

The survivability of viruses has already been discussed in the article. Ethers, heat and disinfection solutions pose a particular danger to it. When carrying out the relevant work, you need to remember:

• bleach 3-4% - death of the virus within 3 minutes;
• formalin solution – 1% – death after 30 minutes;
• heating to 55 degrees - death after 30 minutes.

How to carry out complex disinfection:

1. Low-value equipment used in poultry care must be destroyed.
2. The livestock is transferred to another room while the main dovecote is being treated with toxins.
3. Cleaning perches and walls using scrapers.
4. Wash the above-described parts using a solution of laundry soap at the rate of 0.5 kg per 10 liters of water.
5. Carrying out disinfection.
6. Ventilation of premises.
7. Washing food and water containers.
8. As an additional means, blowtorches are used, whose flame destroys viruses and parasitic insects that may remain in cracks, crevices or other places with difficult access.
9. At the last stage, you can add new food and fresh water, and then transplant the birds.

There are several modern, but expensive disinfection enterprises that are carried out without stocking. This includes a number of gaseous agents that treat not only the room, but also the feed, as well as the feather cover of the bird. There is one caveat here: complete disinfection will be successful only if the dovecote is completely sealed and the temperature is not lower than 15 degrees.

Precautions on how to properly keep a sick pigeon

An important condition for preventing infection with the whirligig is keeping the pigeons clean and observing all sanitary and hygienic standards. Pigeons need to be inspected regularly. If signs of an infectious disease are detected, the bird is immediately isolated from the rest.

The litter must be submitted to a veterinary clinic for analysis. In this way, it is possible to determine what disease has affected the pigeon. This will help to prescribe treatment in a timely manner and save the bird.

Important! Cells must be disinfected regularly using the drug Deitran. It effectively removes the virus that causes whirlwind. The product is not dangerous for pigeons, so the treatment can be carried out overnight without removing them from the premises.

Since the virus dies at high temperatures, you can use heat treatment of the dovecote using hot air.

The risk of infection can be reduced by observing sanitary standards.

Causes

The whirlwind is caused by ribonucleic acid, which contains a paramicrovirus. It has no resistance to elevated temperatures; death occurs at 56 degrees. But freezing is not dangerous for the virus. Zero temperature causes preservation of the microorganism, while the ability to reproduce is preserved even at 1, and for four months. The pathogen can remain viable for up to 6 months, while remaining in the body of a deceased bird during this time. Inactivation occurs under direct sunlight, but the virus is exposed to phenolic, cresol or formaldehyde disinfection solutions, causing its death after 15 minutes.

Vertyachka is divided into several strains:

• weak, non-infectious virulence in the lategenic strain;
• mesogenic has an average degree of virulence;
• the most contagious strain is the velogenic one.

The airborne route is the most common route for the transmission of pseudoplague from one pigeon to another. Distribution through food, water, cleaning equipment, and bedding materials is also possible. Sick individuals act as an infectious source.

It is important to know that it is common for viruses to spread at a time when the incubation period is underway and clinical symptoms have not appeared. The danger lies in the impossibility of identifying sick birds and then isolating them. This, in turn, leads to the fact that Newcastle quickly spreads to the entire population.

Not only pigeons suffer from whirligig; chickens, turkeys, quails, and even parrots are also affected. It is not uncommon to observe outbreaks of the disease in wild birds. The most dangerous situation is when city pigeons are affected, which can spread the infection to poultry and people. For preventive purposes, all contacts with wild animals are limited, especially for children. The disease is transmitted from pigeons to poultry, which can result in the death of the entire flock. Pseudoplague outbreaks are most dangerous when they spread across large farms and poultry farms.