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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Water Scavenger and Clown Beetles (Hydrophiloidea) » Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae) » Hydrophilus
Photo#88804
Giant Water Scavenger Water Beetle (Hydrophilus) - Hydrophilus
Copyright © 2006 John Pickles

Giant Water Scavenger Water Beetle (Hydrophilus) - Hydrophilus
Hidalgo County, Texas, USA
June 29, 2006
I believe this is Hydrophilus. This image shows it breathing and storing air beneath its wings. It is using an appendage to gather air from the surface while submerged. The silver area below the wings is the stored air. When viewing this in real time you can see the air moving into this area.
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Contributed by John Pickles on 27 November, 2006 - 9:36am
Last updated 4 December, 2006 - 2:13pm

Thanks John.
I never thought about how they collected the air. I still don't understand how the air is propelled downward, overcoming the water pressure.
… Jim McClarin, 27 November, 2006 - 5:33pm login or register to post comments

 
I suspect they do it
by raising the elytra thus causing a vacuum and sucking the air down.
Incidentally, the air bubble acts as a physical gill. As the oxygen in the air bubble is used by the beetle oxygen diffuses out ot of the water into the bubble and nitrogen diffuse out of the bubble into the water. In this way the beetle obtains far more oxygen than it originally stored in the bubble.
… Tony-2, 27 November, 2006 - 7:58pm login or register to post comments

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