Black diver
| Black diver | ||||||||||
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Water springtails , Podura aquatica |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Podura aquatica | ||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The black water diver ( Podura aquatica ), also called water springtail , is a common six-pod from the order of the springtails , which traditionally were or are counted among the urine insects . Its distribution area includes Europe, Siberia and North America.
features
The gray-bluish to blackish colored animals reach a body size of 1.1 to 1.5 mm and have relatively short legs and antennae. The ankle fork ( furca or furcula) used for locomotion is folded inwards. This two-pronged body extension is jerked backwards with a muscle.
Way of life
Diver live on the surface of small bodies of water - pools and puddles that have existed for a long time - and often occur in large collections. Occasionally there are mass reproductions, so that the corresponding surface of the water appears black sooted by individuals. This is especially the case when the snow melts, for example on puddles on forest paths. The food consists of bacteria , algae and pollen grains that float on the surface of the water. In the event of a disturbance, the animals jump wildly in all directions. They are so small and light that they are not only supported by the surface tension of the water, but can even repel themselves from the surface when they jump.
The species has a complex mating behavior, which includes an indirect sperm transmission. On one side of a female, the male builds a “fence” out of packets of seeds. It then pushes the female into the spermatophores from the other side.
literature
- Jiří Zahradník: The Cosmos Insect Guide. Franckh'sche Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart 1976. ISBN 3-440-04123-9
Web links
- Information and photos at www.naturspektrum.de
- Fauna Europaea Taxonomy (in English)
- Collembola of the World: Poduridae (numerous pictures)