Content of the swimming beetle at home: tips for arranging an aquarium and feeding

Large water beetles with a streamlined body playfully floating in ponds can perfectly live and breed in captivity. Insects are sold in pet stores, they can be caught in a pond or lake. Swimmers are not demanding on the state of water, the number of plants and lighting. The content of a swimming beetle at home is even for a schoolboy. Observing it will give new knowledge about the world of aquatic inhabitants.

Types and description of swimming beetles

Swimmers are found in stagnant freshwater bodies around the world. They adapted to the cold climate of the northern regions, wintering under the ice. In habitats, they are the largest water bugs. The oval flattened body consists of those densely articulated departments: head, chest and abdomen. The head is wide and flat, with convex faceted eyes on the sides. Strong jaws and long filiform tendrils complete the picture.

The color of the upper body is dark - brown, black, green. The underside is often yellow. Abdomen hidden under strong elytra. In males they are smooth, in females they are covered with grooves. The hind wings are well developed. At night, swimmers make long flights in search of ponds filled with food. For vigorous movement in the water, the rear pair of legs is adapted. Flat long limbs are equipped with a comb of hairs that increase the stroke. Middle legs help change direction quickly. The front pair is used to hold the prey and move on land.

Information. On the forelimbs of males there are disks with suction cups to hold the female during mating.

Varieties of swimmers

Beetles are widely distributed in Russian reservoirs:

• Bordered swimmer - beetle measuring 25-35 mm. The upper part of the body is brown with a green tint, the lower part is reddish. The thoracic section and elytra are bordered by a wide strip of dirty yellow color.
• The swimmer is wide - length is 35-45 mm, the upper part of the body is black or brown, a yellow spot on the forehead. Thin platinum runs along the sides of the elytra, giving the beetle an extra size. The edges of the elytra along the perimeter are colored in orange.
• A swimmer or a strip of adults is inferior in size to other water beetles, their length is 15-18 mm. The color is brown, in the males the elytra are smooth, covered with black dots. Females differ in grooves on the elytra.
• Common buffoon - body size 28-37 mm, greenish-brown color, yellow border on pronotum and elytra. It lives in the southern regions.

Breathing process

Beetles that spend almost all their time in water breathe atmospheric air. When immersed, they capture a supply of oxygen, which must be replenished after 10 minutes. The swimmer exposes the posterior end of the body, contracts the abdomen and pumps air into the tracheal system. Partly insects can get oxygen from water. Larvae breathe in a similar way, expose the end of the abdomen with spiracles from the water.The required amount of air depends on the temperature of the water. In summer, beetles float up frequently, in winter they can be at the bottom of a reservoir for a long time.

Breeding

The mating period is in the spring, after wintering, adults are looking for a pair for copulation. The male is held on top of the female by means of suction cups and bristles on the legs. During prolonged mating, only the partner is able to breathe. The female has to be content with oxygen obtained from water as a result of gas exchange. Cases of death of females after several mating in a row are not uncommon.

Eggs are laid on the underwater part of plants. The female pierces the plant tissue with the ovipositor and places large (up to 7 mm) eggs in them. The total number of masonry is 50-100 pieces. After 2-3 weeks, larvae appear. They have a spindle-shaped body, a large head, and an elongated abdomen. There is no oral gap, the sickle-shaped mandibles have channels for injecting enzymes and sucking out the juice. A predatory larva moves with the help of three pairs of legs. Before pupation is selected on land. Pupa is the only terrestrial phase of development of a swimmer.

Features of captivity

Lovers of swimming beetles are interested in whether they live in captivity? Yes, insects feel great in aquariums, pools and large tanks. They actively swim, use all available space. From above the aquarium is covered with a net, otherwise the beetle will fly away at night. Predatory swimmer and his offspring should not be placed in the same container with fish and other aquatic inhabitants. Beetles and larvae in natural conditions prey on fry, tadpoles, insects. Their predatory instincts are manifested in captivity. Having planted a swimmer with fish, you risk losing part of the pets.

How to equip an aquarium

The volume of the aquarium depends on the number of inhabitants. For 2-3 bugs, a large capacity is not required. There are compact options:

• 10 l - 30x14x23 cm;
• 20 l - 40x20x25 cm;
• 30 l - 50x25x25 cm.

To design an aquarium, you will need soil, stones, plants. A minimum power filter is sufficient from the equipment. It will clear water from the excrement of beetle and food debris. A compressor that enriches water with oxygen is not needed. Beetles breathe atmospheric air. Under natural conditions, swimmers, whose body is lighter than water, move along the bottom, clinging to plants, driftwood and stones. Natural and artificial stones are placed in the aquarium. You can use: limestone, porphyry, granite, marble, pebbles. The collected minerals are thoroughly washed and boiled for disinfection.

Tip. When keeping a swimming beetle in an aquarium, do not place several males in one container. The territory is not large enough, insects will compete and fight among themselves.

Aquarium plants give a special flavor and bring living conditions closer to natural for swimmers. Plants are not only decorative ornaments, they promote metabolism, enrich water with oxygen. Species rooting in the ground (hygrophilous multi-seeded, aponoheton, hornwort) and floating in the water column (Thai fern, hornwort) are used.

Information. Before pouring into the aquarium, water is defended for 2-3 days. During this time, volatile chlorine compounds evaporate.

Power Features

Novice aquarists do not know how to feed a swimming beetle at home. Carnivorous insects need protein food. They are given pupae of insects, earthworms, pieces of meat or fish, hamarus. You can use fortified feed for aquarium fish.

Pet Handling Rules

Swimmers are adults and larvae are real predators with strong and sharp mandibles. We must not forget about this when dealing with bugs. It is better not to take insects with your bare hands, if they feel the danger they will try to bite or release a special protective secret. On the sides of the body of swimmers there are glands that produce a caustic liquid of milky white color. It is poisonous and smells unpleasant. It does not pose a risk to human health; just wash your hands with soap.When changing the water in the aquarium, the beetle is planted with a net.

The bite of a larva is especially unpleasant; they should not be caught and picked up. The offspring are much more aggressive than adults.

Observations

Swimmers are moving insects, they are interested in exploring the bottom of the aquarium. The need to emerge to replenish the air supply gives activity to their behavior. Beetles quickly get used to humans and swim when approaching the aquarium. Their life expectancy is 2-3 years.