Experts Mospeada watching animals in the nature areas of the capital, including insects. One of the smallest inhabitants of Moscow parks — beetles-water scavenger beetles. They look like beetles predacious diving beetles, as belong to the order Coleoptera. But the similarity ends as the predaceous diving beetles are predators and hunters, and the water scavenger beetles prefer to feed on algae and the remains of dead fish.
water scavenger beetles is a family, which includes nearly three thousand species. The largest of them. They can reach five inches in length. In European Russia, larger than only the bugs are deer.
the large black water scavenger beetles live in ponds with flowing and stagnant water. But because of his size swim, they not only randomly move middle and hind legs. These bugs prefer to sit on the rocks and algae.
Bogolub massive head, large eyes and moving antennae, which he draws in the air when comes out of the water. Oxygen envelops the abdomen of the beetle and forms a thin, silvery bubble of air.
water scavenger beetles are nocturnal insects. When it comes time to eat, they choose seaweed, rotten parts of water plants, and even the remains of dead fish. This is in contrast to kin-the predaceous diving beetles that terrorize the waters, hunting for fish, tadpoles and newts.
But the peaceful water scavenger beetles only become in adulthood. The larvae of these beetles can attack small invertebrates, fry and tadpoles.
