Aquatic Hemipterans

Is this an alien from another planet? No! It's a nepid, a type of aquatic hemipteran.


Perhaps you have walked past an insect and casually called it a 'bug'. However, the term 'bug' does not refer to any insect. Bug actually refers to a specific order : Hemiptera. What makes a hemipteran a hemipteran? Hemipterans have piercing mouthparts, in a tube shape, meant for extracting nutriment from prey. No other insects possess such mouthparts. Not all hemipterans are aquatic, but here are some major families of aquatic hemipterans:

Hemipteran mouthparts(close-up image)

One of the most common types of aquatic hemipterans are gerrids, known as water striders. They dwell only in water, and their front wing is half-functional. If you have ever seen a gerrid, you may have noticed how they flawlessly scoot on the surface of the water. How do they do it? Their legs are long and slender, to keep themselves on the surface and reduce weight, and the legs are covered with minute hairs. These hairs prevent the gerrid from being weighted down by absorbing water. Gerrids also exploit water's high surface tension. Water molecules are polar and this causes them to attract to each other. The attractive nature results in the formation of a film-like layer at the top of water. This top layer has gravity acting downward in addition to the water molecules below pulling down the upper molecules. This combination creates a touch surface tension. Like all hemipterans, gerrids are predacious, eating insects found on the water's surface.

Gerrid

Another, less common type of aquatic hempterans are the Notonectids, commonly known as back-swimmers. They are called back-swimmers because of their habit of swimming with their ventral(lower) side up. Most aquatic insects' dorsal sides are darker than the ventral side, but, since notonectids swim upside-down, their coloration is reverse to aid it in camouflage.  Just like gerrids, these insects prey on small aquatic organisms in their habitat. 

                                               

                                                  

                                                   Dorsal side                                                       Ventral side

One other insect that looks similar to notonectids are the Corixids(water boatmen). However, their legs are positioned differently, and if you look closely, you can see that they have small hairs on them. These insects are actually not predacious, eating algae and other aquatic plants. Also, unlike unlike notonectids, corixids' bodies are completely flat. 

Corixid

Another type of aquatic hemipteran are the Nepids. The photo you saw in the introduction was the rarer type of nepid. The most common ones resemble gerrids, except for their pincer-like front legs, hence their common name water scorpions. Nepids are predacious, catching prey with their powerful pincers. 

Common nepid

Have you ever wondered how polluted water in a pond is? You could test it with litmus paper to measure pH, but here is a way to give a basic estimate with one glance: Does the pond have a multitude of aquatic insects? If you see gerrids, or possibly some notonectids and dragonflies, then you know the pond is healthy enough to support insect life. 
Notice the GERRIDS!

Here are some tips for catching aquatic insects: You need a net where you can let it get dirty. They get EXTREMELY muddy!! The best way to catch them is to wave your net around deeper in the pond. Be sure to hold the net away from your face as you pull it out, and hold it far back in removing algae. If you dig around in the mud, you may pull up a dragonfly larva. Notonectids would be found closer to the surface of the water, as well as gerrids. By groping around in the mud, I have caught dragonfly and asilid(giant, biting flies) larvae, and salamanders and tadpoles.  When you remove insects from your net, YOU MUST WEAR GLOVES!!! It is extremely dirty, and many aquatic insects bite. Then, place it into a container with water in it until you are finished observing it. Container should be open and shallow. Be sure to release your organisms where you found them! 

                                                     Notice the use of soft forceps!

BAD!!

Going Batty for Bats!

This looks like a very odd contortion, right? For you, it might look crazy, but to a bat, it's perfectly normal! They even sleep upside-down! 

Bats are nocturnal, meaning that they hunt at night and rest during the day. They hunt moths, mosquitoes, and other small flies. How do they see their prey in the dark? The answer is, they don't see it! Instead, they use echolocation. This  the pattern of sound waves that result from an extremely high-pitched noise. Bats send out a noise too high for our own ears to hear, and judge by the way the sound waves bounce off of their surroundings to see if prey is there. This also helps determine whether there is a tree intercepting the bat's path so it doesn't crash. 

However, not all bats rely on echolocation. The majority of them do, but some locate prey by hearing. Not surprisingly, they have huge ears! Here is a picture of one:

These bats can perfectly detect the sound of a moth's wingbeats, but what if the moth is stationary? It can't hear the moth if it doesn't make a sound, so it cannot locate it. Even if it is on a leaf and moves, the bat will hear it but fail to find which side of the leaf it is on. 

Not all bats prey on moths and other insects. Some have the most surprising diet--- fruit! The fruit bats, also known as flying foxes eat fruit(hence the name fruit bat). They do not use echolocation to find fruit. These bats will also drink nectar from flowers. In fact, they serve as pollinators for specific plants. This symbiosis between plants and bats is known as chiropterophily. 

These bats are sharing a slice of watermelon!

Seeing the fact that they have wings, you may assume that bats are a type of bird. In fact, they are mammals--- the only mammals to develop wings. Observing closely, you shall notice that bats possess fur instead of feathers. Bats, like all other mammals, produce milk for their young. The fingers that humans possess grew webbed on bats, to make them be able to fly. The thumb grew elongated, to protrude from the wing. The same happened to the other fingers, forming a support for the wings. 
Notice the elongated fingers(yes, fingers)!

However, not all bats use their wings for flying! Some use them for---crawling! Instead of hunting moths and mosquitoes in the air, they hunt other insects on the ground. They fold up their wings and walk on their 'knuckles' to find terrestrial prey. Here is a picture:

SPIDERS!!!

What is this? An alien from outer space? No! It's an ordinary jumping spider, no larger than the size of your the fingernail on your thumb! Here are more facts about spiders:

Spiders are very different from insects in a few different ways. Insects have three body segments: head, thorax, and abdomen. Spiders have only two: cephalothorax and abdomen. Also, while insects have six legs, spiders have eight. Spiders are not considered insects! They are Arachnids. 

Count the legs! There are eight! 

In the front image, you must have noticed the multitude of EYES! Most spiders have four pairs of eyes on the top-front area of the cephalothorax, arranged in patterns that vary from one family to another. The pair at the front are of the type called pigment-cup ocelli ("little eyes"), which in most arthropods are only capable of detecting the direction from which light is coming, using the shadow cast by the walls of the cup. However,  the main eyes at the front of spiders' heads are pigment-cup ocelli that are capable of forming images. All these eyes help the spider see all around its head for prey and predators. 

Close up of a spider's eye! 

One unique quality of most spiders is their ability to spin webs. Their abdomens bear appendages that have been modified into spinnerets that extrude silk from up to six types of silk glands within their abdomen. Spider webs vary widely in size, shape and the amount of sticky thread used. It is a spider's instinct to spin the particular web that allows it to successfully catch an insect in its bonds. However, some patterns in webs appear in only certain species of spiders. Take, for instance, the yellow-and-black garden spider. In its webs, it weaves a zigzag line. Here is an image. 

A different sort of web pattern

Every spider can bite, will bite, and contains a tiny bit of venom in it. However, some species are more dangerous than others. For example, the black widow. If you see something like this(below), STAY AWAY!!

You can recognize a black widow from an ordinary spider by the distinctive triangle hourglass patterning in red on the abdomen. 

Now, here is an example of an almost-harmless type of spider: the harvestman, also known as daddy-long-legs. This spider is almost all legs, and in fact, does not spin webs. Here is a picture of one:

In this image, you probably noticed that this spider lacks all eight legs. These spiders have flimsy legs, so they easily break off the body.

Ways to Help Goldfinches!

What is this vividly colored bird? It's a goldfinch! Here is how you can help them:
Make a birdfeeder! Goldfinches love seeds, and in fact, will eat seeds exclusively, with insects not making up any fraction of their diet. You can add a twist to the customary bird-feeder by making them into Christmas tree ornaments! Goldfinches are most common in early fall, but you can hang up bird-seed ornaments(you don't need to have a pine tree)! Here is how to make them:
1. Purchase a bag of classic bird-seed from your local supermarket, and pour it into a bowl, OR use plain, unsalted sunflower seeds(they LOVE those!)
2. Now, take 1 cup (250 milliliters) coconut oil and mix it thoroughly in the birdseed(USE your HANDS, coconut oil is perfectly harmless!)
3. Mold the mixture into some baking molds(cookie-cutters, clay molds)
4. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, and pop them out of the mold. If they break, still hang it up! It's bird food! 

If you want, you can even plant sunflowers! When sunflowers begin to produce their seeds, goldfinches immediately find them and eat them with great relish. 


Male goldfinches are colored in a vivid yellow and have black wings, while females are a duller shade of yellow almost all over. Goldfinches breed in late summer, so that is when you are most likely to see them. However, they grow their plumage in spring.  Here is a picture of a female:

Do you see the difference?

Perhaps you noticed the conical shape of the goldfinches' beak. Goldfinches eat seeds exclusively, so the beak must be well suited for cracking them. Thus, it is very thick and strong-appearing, but also short. Goldfinches are also adapted to collecting seeds from plants in the way that their bodies are very light and flexible. The birds are capable of twisting their necks backwards to reach for a seed! Goldfinches are also very small, around five inches long, which helps them weave around in fields of flowers and balance on a thin stem. 

This is a photo that I took of a goldfinch taking off, and if you look closely. you can see the female behind it. 

Eels!!!!

What is this snake flattened by a steamroller? It's an eel! Eels are very odd and mysterious organisms, and little is known about them. However, we must race to save the eels before overfishing devastates the population. 

Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. A majority of eel species are nocturnal, and thus are rarely seen. Sometimes they are seen living together in holes, or "eel pits". Some species of eels also live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes deep as 4,000 m (13,000 ft).They begin life as flat and transparent larvae, or glass eels. Glass eels drift in the surface waters of the sea, feeding on marine snow, small particles that float in the water.  Maturing eels travel upstream and are forced to climb up obstructions, such as weirs, dams, and natural waterfalls. Eels are also caught and raised for food, especially in Japan and China. Once, the eel population declined dramatically due to overfishing, and it became illegal to catch eels without a license. Still, though, they are raised for food. Luckily, now, the eel population is making a comeback.

This is a glass eel. They are totally transparent, and only a few centimeters in length. 

When you think of eels, probably you think of electric eels. Their shocking ability comes from two organs in their body:  the Hunter's organ, and the Sach's organ. These organs make up four-fifths of its body, and are what give the electric eel the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges: low voltage and high voltage. These organs are made of electrocytes, lined up so a current of ions can flow through them and stacked so each one adds to a potential difference. When the eel locates its prey, the brain sends a signal through the nervous system to the electrocytes. This opens the ion channels, allowing sodium to flow through. By causing a sudden difference in electric potential, it generates an electric current in a manner similar to a battery. The Sach's organ is used mainly in electrolocation, while the Hunter's organ produces the current to shock prey.

Electric Eel

You can help protect eels by simply not eating it. At some sushi restaurants, they sell eel sushi or eel sauce. Before you order an eccentric sort of sushi, ask if it involves eel. 

Invasive Species

    

This looks like your average toad, right? Wrong! This is a cane toad, a species of toad that is taking over Australia as you read this!

Cane toads were originally imported from South America to eat the sugar cane beetles that were devouring the farmer’s crops. However, they ate more than sugar cane beetles. Cane toads had no natural predators, and a great abundance of natural food. This is a bad mix for the lives of the native organisms. To make matters worse, cane toads are highly toxic, and whatever organism eats it will die. They ooze white poison from a gland on the side of their body. You can research whether or not your country has cane toads, and if they are a problem in your country, do not touch any brown amphibian you see(unless it’s a salamander)!

 These white gobs are the killer poison.

Here is a case of invasive species you may be more familiar with, especially if you live in the southern United States. The case of the invasive brown stinkbug! Probably every stinkbug you see is brown. When you see a green stinkbug, you may find it unusual. Once, the brown stinkbug was an unusual sight. What happened? When these new brown stinkbugs were introduced, they had less natural predators, and were better equipped for competition than the green ones. Therefore, the brown ones took over. You can help monitor this by participating in SciStarter project Brown Marmorated Stinkbug Project(http://www.scistarter.com/project/663-Brown%20marmorated%20stink%20bug%20locations?tab=project)

Here is another unusual case of invasive species:  The invasive lionfish!

This is quite an extravagant display! These fancy fins are actually poison spears! Lionfish live in shallow waters and eat small fish and mollusks. These fish have a large appetite, and if their population unnaturally explodes, it can result in disaster. Now, lionfish are eating their way through the Atlantic ---- at a faster speed than sharks can eat them! The trouble all started when only six lionfish were released from an aquarium. This shows how only a few non-native species can cause disaster in a new environment. What can you do? Don’t release any pet that you want to get rid of or  give the pet an opportunity to escape(unless it is an outdoor cat or dog!).  Advertise the pet on a local bulletin board, or in your neighborhood. You can even say on the flyer not to release in the wild!

Ways to Help Snails

You've seen this before! It's a snail! Here is how to help these one-of-a-kind mollusks.

Watch your step! Whenever you walk down your driveway or to your front door, look at your feet! If it is after a storm, it is guaranteed you will come across one. Do not step on it! 

Snails and slugs are considered garden pests, but do not kill them! Before you kill an insect(or mollusk, in this case), always think about what the alternative could be. Here all you have to do is make a snail habitat in a fairly large fishtank. First, out in a thin layer of soil. Next, put in some rocks(both large and small). Then, add in some grass and moss. After that, you can prop some sticks up on the walls of the tank. Now you are ready to stock it with food! You can put in juicy leaves, but from my experience,snails prefer mushrooms! 

You can make your backyard snail-friendly, too. Whenever a log falls, instead of putting it in the trash, shove it in a shady spot of your yard. Scatter the ground with bits of dead leaves and rocks, and wait for the snails. 

Both snails and slugs are members of the family molluska, and in the class gastropoda. Gastropod means stomach foot, but snails actually do not move by means of stomach. Their stomachs and other organs are located in the shell. Snails and slugs have very odd eyes, them being suspended on tentacles. However, these long eyes are useful for probing in the leaf litter while seeing what you are doing. They can also act as feelers to sense what is in front of them. If there is danger, the snail will draw into its shell. If you have touched a snail, this was probably its response. 

Sometimes you may have seen trails of shiny slime. This comes from snails! This substance is mucus produced by the snail's 'foot'. This is usually used for crawling on. The mucus of a gastropod serves the function of a glue, allowing land snails to crawl up vertical surfaces without falling off. The slime trail that a land snail leaves behind is often visible as a silvery track on surfaces such as stone or concrete.

However, snails do not live only on land. They can live in water, too! When living in water, snails tend to appear much more colorful, but other than that, they look exactly like land snails. These water snails are only found in shallow water, and are especially abundant in coral reefs. Unlike land snails, sea snails can be poisonous to the touch(except for those in pet stores). They are also carnivorous. Some species will even eat other species of snail! Sea snails have the same internal structure and produce mucus.

Fish--- At the Bottom of the Ocean!!

When you think of fish, you probably think of brightly striped fish in the coral reefs, or even what you eat. Certainly you don't picture this:

Here is another picture of a deep-sea monster:

Yes, it exists and it is not computer-edited. The angler fish, along with the fangtooth, live close to the very bottom of the ocean, in the particular region called the Twilight Zone. Here it is completely dark and inhospitable. You are probably wondering, how  do these organisms find food? They use bioluminescence--- the way of making light that glows in the dark! An angler fish uses the pole sticking out of its head as a lure. It will flash bioluminescent light. Since other, prey organisms think of a light as possible food, and will be attracted to it. As you can see from the menacing set of teeth, the organism wil be in for a nasty surprise. How do organisms mate in the dark? That's not really known. Perhaps it's just luck! Here are some eccentric-looking organisms from the very bottom of the ocean:

As you can see, this organism, known as a copipod produces bioluminescence. Copipods are much smaller in actual size, and eat the few particles of plankton that drift down from higher waters. This plankton falls down, creating an effect that looks like snow, hence the name marine snow. Here is something that preys on copipods:

This is indeed alive! It is hard to believe(when I first saw it I thought it was from a science fiction movie!). This odd organism is called gigantocypris, and preys on copipods. Therefore, it is approximately the same size(the size of a pea). Gigantocypris seeks out the bioluminescent flashes of copipods. Then, it must rely on mainly luck, and a tiny bit of its senses. However, it can be fooled. Just look at this:

This shrimp has been frightened by something, and is squirting bioluminescent glue to keep it away! This tactic is similar to that of the octopus's ink. 

This is a comb jellyfish, and another glue-producing organism. When threatened, it will shoot out a sticky net of glue. Here in the picture, the comb jelly is just going about its business without being eaten---so far. 

This is actual size! What is this beautiful scarf? It is a siphonophore! All these fancy bulbs and billows are filtering machines that filter out prey. After prey is trapped, it is zapped with poisons from the siphonophore's  stinging cells. All it has to do is sit and wait! For additional help in catching prey, red light is invisible to the eyes of almost all deep sea life forms. Therefore, no one would even know it is there, so how can it be avoided? 

This peculiar organism is known as phronima, a type of amphipod. Some species of it live in the bodies of jellyfish it paralyzed itself. Phronima is a fierce predator, and will take whatever crosses its path.

Half of this eel's head is its mouth! This gulper eel can tackle something twice its size with such a huge mouthful. What you saw in the picture is way less than even half of the eel's body. It has a long tail that can extend to a few meters long! You can't afford to be picky of you live in the deep sea! 

Does this remind you of an octopus 'dressed up' as an elephant for Halloween? This dumbo octopus has been only recently discovered, and those flaps may or may not be ears. 

This is a firefly squid. 

These are tube worms--- found only at the very bottom of the ocean! 

This is a type of sea urchin that dwells at the very bottom of the ocean! 

Polychaete Worm

Another Polychaete Worm

This hatchetfish has quite a dazzling display to stun predators that try to catch it! It will flash these silver scales. However, what if it is attacked from the bottom? There is a defense for that, too! Hatchetfish possess photophores, color changing cells that detect the very faint beans of sunlight that pierce the Twilight Zone. This helps them camouflage with the exact color of the water. 

Hagfish

This snake-like fish lives at the very bottom of the  ocean, and feeds on whatever dead meat floats to the floor. 

Underwater Storms

These hydrothermal vents, or black smokers, spew out boiling liquid carbon dioxide. It's that hot! However, some organisms still live here, even with no oxygen! Anaerobic bacteria dwell here, along with tube worms and some very tolerant species of crab(shown below)

Vent Crabs

Ways to Help Worms

Have you ever dug a garden? If so, you may have come across worms. They do look ugly, but they contribute major help in the health of your plants. Here is how to help them in return:

Participate in SciStarter project Great Lakes Worm Watch(http://www.scistarter.com/project/333-Great%20Lakes%20Worm%20Watch). Another thing you can do is make a little 'worm refuge'. Turn over and dig up some soil only a few inches deep. Scatter some leaves on it, and it is ready for the worms! Whenever you see a worm out on your driveway, or stuck in the sun, help relocate it to a shady, grassy area. Also, when you water your plants, wet the soil around it, too. The worms will be thankful! 

How exactly do worms help your garden? They dig tunnels through the soil, aerating it in the process. That's not all they do. Worms eat leaves, and they excrete the excess in the form of droppings--- in the soil! These droppings are rich in nutriment and act as fertilizer for plants.  Fun Fact  about earthworms: If a predator bites of part of a worm's body, it can grow it back! 

Normally worms grow to be at most a few inches long. However, some are giants. One rare type has been known to reach 6 feet long! These species spend a few months or more in cocoons, growing to their full size. Then, they burrow underground and spend the rest of their lives there. Sometimes, if you are in the right place at the right time, you may hear gurgling sounds made by the worms in their tunnels. However, these worms live exclusively in certain places.