Text: Bai Xiaosheng
Editor|Caifeng Bai Xiaosheng
There is a creature with a peculiar appearance, it is the most hated enemy of mosquitoes, it only takes one year to kill 3,000 mosquitoes, but it takes eight years for it to grow.
Such a beneficial insect is ruthlessly eaten by some people, and it has some similarities with chameleons, so what is this creature?
As a beneficial insect, it has become a delicacy for people
This insect is the water fly, although the appearance of the water fly is not eye-catching, and some are even different from the body size of the water fly, but they are one of the real beneficial insects. As one of the creatures that are best at preying on mosquitoes, they effectively help prevent mosquitoes from spreading diseases. This also makes them invisible ecological guardians, creating a healthier and more comfortable living environment for us.
Water flies usually live in water and have a similar appearance to dragonflies, and people have given them some strange names because they not only have a special appearance, but also have a special gastronomic tradition among the people.
They are usually relatively large and have a much larger belly than their head, but surprisingly, their antennae and legs are unusually sensitive, allowing them to feel the pressure of the waves in the water and accurately perceive the position of their prey.
It is worth mentioning that water bugs also have a special life-saving ability, when in danger, they can use the orifice in the abdomen to absorb water, which can not only get the thrust of water, but also quickly escape with the help of the reaction force of water. This skill undoubtedly gives the water fly a great advantage in survival and predation.
Although the talent of water flies for predation has been recognized, their special value seems to be unreflected in human society. But in some parts of China, the water fly has become a popular delicacy, with locals saying that it tastes similar to fried grasshoppers, and that it only needs to be washed and fried before eating.
Not just the taste, it is also found to be rich in protein, a very nutritious ingredient, and in places like Yunnan, it has become one of the delicacies on the table of local residents. Despite this, the number of water flies has gradually decreased, and the price in the market has also risen, and in some places it is even sold for 80 yuan a catty. This phenomenon has sparked concern about ecological balance, and many people are beginning to realize the importance of protecting water flies and their habitats.
Although the importance of water flies in human society is mainly reflected in the gastronomic culture, we cannot ignore their role in the natural world. As an important stage in the life of dragonflies, water flies play an important role in maintaining aquatic insect populations and the ecological balance of water bodies.
The water fly can be called a guardian ambassador
In the humid southern waters, there is a group of hidden and mysterious creatures, known as the water bugs, whose small size and green body color make them almost imperceptible in lakes, rivers and other waters. As a larval form of an insect, the water fly is a carnivore, feeding on small fish and shrimp, and is also a natural enemy of mosquito eggs in the water.
The predatory skills of the water fly are amazing, they are agile and very aggressive, as long as there is a little fluctuation in the water they can accurately find the hiding place of the prey, when the water fly finds the target, they will quickly extend their jaws to catch the prey like thunder and lightning. This unique predation technique makes the water fly hunt mosquitoes in the water, like a killer in the rivers and lakes, directly referring to mosquitoes as the things in the bag.
Mosquito larvae are also one of the main foods of the water fly, providing rich nutrients and helping them grow.
Some scientists have found that in the summer, a single water fly can eat more than 3,000 mosquitoes. This is an unimaginable number, they play a vital role in our ecological environment, and the presence of water bugs is much more effective than the purchase of mosquito repellent tools such as mosquito coils and insecticides.
There are also some limitations to the living environment of the water bugs, they have to rely on the water to live, and the environment without water can make it impossible for them to survive. When they reach adulthood, they have a larval stage that lasts for 5 to 8 years, during which time they need to molt and grow multiple times. Until eventually, they will crawl out of the water and undergo a gorgeous transformation to become a winged dragonfly.
Because of its long-term dependence on water, some farmers regard it as a pest, for whom it preys on the natural damage of fish and shrimp farming, but in the field, it is praised by farmers as a weapon to capture pests.
They will prey on pests that rampant in crops and use them as their own food, and the appearance of water flies can not only reduce the number of pests, protect the rice of the farmland, but also maintain the balance of the farmland ecology.
The enemy of the water fly mosquito and the miracle of life
Water flies are amazing creatures, although many people do not know them very well, but they are the mortal enemies of mosquitoes, and they are the larval stage of dragonflies, although they cannot fly, but they play an important role in the water.
The unique physiology of the water fly makes them a nightmare for mosquitoes, and their well-developed and sharp eyes are able to pick up the slightest movement in the water, giving them an efficient predatory ability. But what's even more amazing is that the water fly has powerful mouthparts that can easily bite and devour prey in the water, including the nasty mosquito larvae.
The growth process of water flies is not easy, they need to go through a long time, during this time, their bodies are constantly changing, gradually forming the prototype of dragonflies, and they need to overcome great challenges in physical strength and endurance.
The water fly is also a very interesting creature, and it also has a very amazing ability to change color, similar to the chameleon, the color of the water fly can change depending on the surrounding environment. In order to be able to hide better, when they live at the bottom of the lake or some other place, their body color will turn brown.
In this way, they are able to protect themselves from their prey and blend into the environment, while on the surface of the water, the water flies will become shallower to improve their concealment.
Although it brings many benefits to humans and the environment, its population is declining due to overfishing. In some areas, it has become a delicacy on the tables of local residents, and some people even earn an economic income by catching it. However, this over-catching behavior will not only destroy the ecological balance of the water fly, but also threaten the stability of the entire aquatic ecosystem.
Breaking the cocoon into a butterfly, the journey of the water fly's metamorphosis
In the place where the river is turbulent and the water plants are abundant, the water fly hides in this ecological environment, always ready for its own incredible transformation, it becomes a beautiful dragonfly, and the water fly spends almost all of its time in the water in its life, which is a very special and magical journey.
The water fly lives secretly underwater with its slender body shape and unique body structure, and it obtains energy by catching insects smaller than itself, and this amazing predatory ability makes the water fly a star for mosquitoes and other small insects.
In order to better prey and protect themselves, the water fly also has the ability to change color, just like a chameleon, unlike the fixed body color of other insects, the body color of the water fly will change with the change of the environment. Hydrocarps that live in paddy fields like to hide in yellow mud, which makes their bodies turn earthy yellow, while those that live in ponds tend to hide in the shade of green grass, giving them a cyan body shape.
This magical camouflage ability allows the water fly to better adapt to its environment and prey more effectively while camouflaging itself. During this long process of growth, the water fly needs to undergo multiple molts, which gradually frees them from the confines of the water and becomes a dragonfly that can soar into the sky.
Just like the test given by nature, the metamorphosis journey of the water fly is not an easy task. They must move forward, overcome obstacles, and bloom in the glorious underwater vastness. It is through each molt and metamorphosis that the final beautiful wings of the water fly can be unfurled, bringing brilliant colors to the sky.