Birds and Nature, Vol. 08, No. 1, June 1900: In Natural Colors — John Shaqi
Birds and Nature, Vol. 08, No. 1, June 1900: In Natural ColorsVarious
History
Birds and Nature, Vol. 08, No. 1, June 1900: In Natural Colors
Various
Birds -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
Doubtless the best known, to most people, of this type of breather,
are the Giant water bugs, which accumulate in such large numbers
under and in the globes of electric lights. The paired nature of the
breathing tube is well shown in the plate. These bugs are powerful
swimmers, as is shown by their flattened hind legs. Even young fish
are not overlooked by these voracious bugs. A South American kind is
much larger than our species, reaching from four to four and one-half
inches in length, or about twice the size of our species. The shortness
of the air tube suggests that this organ is not used in just the same
manner as in the Water-scorpions, and the areas of fine hairs on the
under side of the body suggest that these insects may be somewhat of a
compromise between those insects which carry air below with them and
those which remain submerged, except for the tube which communicates
with the air.
Most of the insects previously mentioned are ones which throughout life
live in water, but a very large number are aquatic only during their
larval or immature stages. The Mosquito is a good illustration, of
this type. In some of its habits the Mosquito is well known, but this
is primarily due to the biting habit of the female. The researches of
recent years clearly show that the annoyance from the bite itself,
is, in the case of some kinds of Mosquitoes, only a small part of the
mischief that they can do. The life history of the Mosquito has been
summarized somewhat as follows by Dr. L. O. Howard: The eggs are laid
at night, in a boat-shaped mass containing from two hundred to four
hundred eggs. These may hatch in 16 hours, the larval stage lasting
about a week, and the pupal stage about 24 hours. Thus the entire cycle
may be completed in 10 days, under favorable circumstances, but may
be greatly delayed by a low temperature. The rapidity with which the
complete cycle may be passed through makes it possible for a very large
number of broods to occur during a single season.
The Wigglers or Wiggle-tails, often so numerous in rain-barrels, are
the larvæ of mosquitoes. Every one has noticed that these larvæ when
not disturbed rest at the surface, but when frightened drop slowly
downward in the water, since they are heavier than this medium, yet
they rest at the surface, by means of a rosette of thin plates at
the tail end of the body. These act as the hairs on the legs of the
Water-strider, and make use of the tension of the surface film which
holds the larva up, as the surface tension held up the Water-strider.
On the next to the last segment of the Wiggler there is a large
breathing tube which reaches to the surface when the larva is floating.
The food of the larva is said to be decaying vegetable matter. The
short pupal period is also passed floating, but it now has two
breathing tubes near the points of attachment of the wings. When ready
to transform it crawls out onto the pupal skin and dries its wings
preparatory to flight.
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