Many aquatic insects can be found gliding across the surface of water, but some beetles from Down Under do it upside down, clinging to the surface while submerged in the water. A study published June 28 in Ethology explains how the beetles are able to achieve this exceedingly rare form of locomotion.
The researchers write in their study that they believe that the bubble of air the beetle holds on its abdomen provides the tension needed to stay belly up as it scurries around in the water. Although the exact species of the insect isn’t known, the researchers suspect it belongs to the family Hydrophilidae, water scavenging beetles.
A beetle suspected to be in the Hydrophilidae family uses the underside of the water’s surface to get around.
© JOHN GOULD
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