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Aquatic Insect

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Jenz Lacson
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58 views22 pages

Aquatic Insect

Uploaded by

Jenz Lacson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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GROUP 6

AQUATIC
INSECTS
What is
AQUATIC INSECT?
• Aquatic insects, often
known as water insects,
are insects that spend a
portion of their life in
water.
• They can be found in a
wide range of aquatic
environments, including
freshwater ponds, lakes,
streams, and rivers.
• Aquatic insects contribute to the
trophic structure of the
ecosystems by filling functional
roles ranging from detritivores up
to predators, along with being
food sources for vertebrate and
invertebrate predators.
• As many aquatic insects have
both aquatic (larval and adult)
and terrestrial (adult) life stages,
their impact is not limited to the
aquatic environment alone and
stretches into the terrestrial
riparian environment. (Starr,
Wallace, 2021).
• There are roughly 76,000 species
of aquatic insects that have been
discovered. However, some
estimates suggest that the actual
number of aquatic insect species
may be closer to 200,000.
IMPORTANCE OF
AQUATIC
INSECTS
Economi Ecological
c
• Food source • Nutrient Cycling
• Bioindicator species • Biodiversity
• Pharmaceutical • Ecosystem Services
Potential
Morphology Of
Aquatic Insects
• The life stages of insects undergoing
complete metamorphosis are egg, larva,
pupa, and adult.
• Among aquatic insects sharing
incomplete metamorphosis are mayflies,
damselflies, dragonflies, stoneflies, and
water bugs (so those insects have
nymphs).
Morphology Of
Aquatic Insects
• Adult insects are characterized by the
presence of three pairs of segmented
legs and the presence of wings in most
species
• Many aquatic insect larvae possess three
pairs of segmented legs, but in some
groups segmented legs are absent
FEEDING
BEHAVIOR
• Aquatic insects are usually regarded
as having secondarily invaded water
from land (Wootton 1988), and with
few exceptions, adults retain the
terrestrial habit.
• While primitive insects have
successfully colonized water, it is
those that have evolved complete
metamorphosis which show the
highest degree of adaptation.
TYPES OF FEEDING BEHAVIOR

Collector-filterers Herbivory Detritivory Carnivory


Collector-filterers Herbivory
• are organisms that have evolved various • Herbivory in aquatic insects involves
sieving mechanisms for removing particulate
feeding on plant material, including
matter from suspension
algae, macrophytes, and detritus.
• Several groups’ aquatic insects, with
habitats ranging from high elevation streams
to saltwater estuaries, use this feeding
method and consume significant quantities of
suspended material (seston), including living
organisms and both organic and inorganic
Detritivory Carnivory
• is a relatively broad term that includes • Carnivory involves feeding on other
organisms that consume dead plant animals, including smaller insects,
material or microorganisms larvae, and other aquatic organisms
• Xylophages are a diverse group of
detritivores specialized to excavate and
fragment woody litter. Aquatic xylophages
include crane flies and elmid beetles.
reproduction
• Larger females had larger eggs, which were more
vulnerable to perturbations such as droughts and
often laid in cocoons
• Most insects reproduce oviparously, i.e. by laying
eggs. The eggs are produced by the female in a
pair of ovaries.
• Sperm, produced by the male in one testicle or
more commonly two, is transmitted to the female
during mating by means of external genitalia.
• he sperm is stored within the female in one or
more spermathecae.
• At the time of fertilization, the eggs travel along
oviducts to be fertilized by the sperm and are
then expelled from the body ("laid"), in most
cases via an ovipositor.
reproduction
• The eggs will hatch in the water
and become larvae.
• The larvae will then eat and eat
and eat until they become
pupae.
• They then seal off their cases
and undergo metamorphosis.
• The pupae then cut open their
cases, swim to the surface, shed
their skin, and become adults.
COMMON
SPECIES
OF AQUATIC
INSECTS
Dragonfly
(Anax junius)
• A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging
to the infraorder Anisoptera below the
order Odonata.
• About 3,000 extant species of
dragonflies are known.
• Most are tropical, with fewer species in
temperate regions
• Loss of wetland habitat threatens
dragonfly populations around the world.
• Adult dragonflies are characterised by a
pair of large, multifaceted, compound
eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent
wings, sometimes with coloured
patches, and an elongated body.
Damselfy
(Enallagma
cyathigerum)
• any of a group of predatory, aerial
insects that are in the order Odonata.
• are found mainly near shallow,
freshwater habitats and are graceful
fliers with slender bodies and long,
filmy, net-veined wings
• are generally smaller, more delicate,
and fly weakly in comparison with
dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera).
• Their colours can be stunningly vivid.
• Wingspans among the 2,600 damselfly
species range from 18 mm (0.71 inch)
to about 19 cm (7.5 inches) in
Megaloprepus caerulatus, a giant
damselfly of tropical Central and South
Water striders
(Gerris lacustris)
• are small insects that are adapted
for life on top of still water, using
surface tension to their advantage
so they can “walk on water.”
• Water acts different at the surface.
Water molecules are attracted to
each other and like to stay together,
especially on the surface where
there is only air above.
• The attraction between water
molecules creates tension and a
very delicate membrane.
• Water striders walk on this
membrane.
Mayfly
(Ephemera
danica)
• have large compound eyes,
short, bristlelike antennae,
and functionless mouthparts
and digestive tracts.
• Once mayflies enter the
winged stages they cannot
feed.
• Their membranous wings
include a large, triangular
front pair and a much
smaller, rounded hind pair.
Caddiesfly
(Limnephilus
lunatus)
• are mothlike insects with
two pairs of hairy wings that
are folded rooflike over the
abdomen at rest.
• Antennae are long and many
jointed with a large basal
segment.
• Large compound eyes are
present, whereas simple
eyes (ocelli) either number
three or are absent.
Whirligig
(Gyrinus
• natator)
are water beetles, comprising the
family Gyrinidae that usually
swim on the surface of the water
if undisturbed, though they swim
underwater when threatened.
• They get their common name
from their habit of swimming
rapidly in circles when alarmed,
and are also notable for their
divided eyes which are believed
to enable them to see both
above and below water.
Conclusion
Aquatic insects play a vital role in freshwater
ecosystems, contributing to the ecological
balance, biodiversity, and health of aquatic
environments. Additionally, they serve as
indicators of water quality, helping
researchers monitor ecosystem health and
identify pollution levels. However, aquatic
insects face numerous threats, including
habitat destruction, pollution, and climate
change, all of which can disrupt their
populations and, consequently, the balance of
aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, it is essential
to mitigate these threats to ensure the
THANK
YOU!

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