Hydrometra gracilenta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Hydrometridae
Genus: Hydrometra
Species:
H. gracilenta
Binomial name
Hydrometra gracilenta
Horváth, 1899
Hydrometra gracilenta on wood

Hydrometra gracilenta, the lesser water-measurer, is a species of aquatic bugs in the family Hydrometridae.

Description

Hydrometra gracilenta is 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long, somewhat smaller than Hydrometra stagnorum; its eyes are located halfway down its head.[1] Its specific name is from the Latin word for "slender."[2]

Habitat

This species lives in ponds[3] in Northern Europe (including Great Britain and Ireland) and Italy.[4][5][6] It is on the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) list, preferring well-vegetated ditches flooded, or surface wet fen (marsh) with dense vegetation.[7]

Behaviour

It is diurnal[8] and eats other insects, including Chironomidae (non-biting midges).[3] The female lays her eggs in May or June; they develop into nymphs and then become adults by July.[3] The name "water measurer" refers to the insects' habit of walking on the surface of ditches and ponds, apparently pacing the distances between points. Hydrophobic hairs on its legs allow it to walk on the surface of the water.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Brock, Paul D. (June 8, 2021). Britain's Insects: A Field Guide to the Insects of Great Britain and Ireland. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691204994 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "Definition - Numen - The Latin Lexicon - An Online Latin Dictionary - A Dictionary of the Latin Language". latinlexicon.org.
  3. 1 2 3 "Hydrometra gracilenta". www.commanster.eu.
  4. ↑ "Hydrometra gracilenta". ukrbin.com.
  5. ↑ "Hydrometra gracilenta Horváth, 1899". www.gbif.org.
  6. ↑ Cianferoni, Fabio; Dell'Olmo, Lorella; Lastrucci, Lorenzo (July 2015). "Review of Hydrometra gracilenta Horváth, 1899 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Hydrometridae) in Italy, with notes on its general distribution". Zootaxa. 3980 (4): 584–590. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3980.4.8. PMID 26249974.
  7. ↑ "Agri-environment schemes in England" (PDF). Buglife. August 2011.
  8. ↑ "Lesser Water Measurer - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org.
  9. ↑ "Water measurer - Bug Directory". Buglife.


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