Olson Middle School

Tabernacle, NJ

Aquatic Insects

Text by Kerry and her mother
Illustrations by Kerry

My mother and I took a net down to the pond behind our house. It was a warm summer afternoon, and we wanted to do a bit of exploring.

We expected to find frogs, salamanders, and different types of fish. Surprisingly, most of our finds were insects. There were many strange and unusual insects that we had never seen before. These aquatic insects spend at least part of their life cycles in fresh water. They inhabit almost every body of fresh water including lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, glacial melts, and hot springs.

While living under water, these insects still need to breathe, and have a number of unique ways to obtain oxygen. Insects such as the water boatman and back swimmer rise to the surface and take in oxygen. The back swimmer then creates an air bubble and clutches it to its underside. The water boatman surrounds its body in a bubble of air. These two insects use their supply of air while they swim under water, just like a scuba tank. Water scorpions spend their time hanging upside down in the water and take in oxygen through a long breathing tube from the tip of their abdomens.

Water boatman and back swimmers have flattened elongated back legs that they use specifically for swimming. When they swim, they appear to be rowing through the water. The back swimmer swims on its back!

Some aquatic insects eat aquatic plants, but many eat other insects and aquatic animals. An example of this is the giant water bug. This insect can be 2 inches long (6.5 cm), and actually feeds on small fish and tadpoles. This creature can even give a painful bite to unsuspecting people netting in a pond. Another interesting fact about some species of giant water bugs is that the female lays her eggs on the back of the male. Here the eggs remain until they hatch and the larvae swim away.

There are many other species of insects that inhabit our local waterways. They have adapted to living in their aquatic environments in fascinating ways. If you just go out and look for them, you too can learn more about our wild neighbors.

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