"All things have spirits, except mosquitoes"
Mosquitoes are small creatures that appear in swarms in the summer, tormenting people's bodies and minds.
Many people are impatient with mosquitoes, but they still thrive tenaciously in natural selection.
However, there is a seemingly docile little insect in nature that turns out to be the natural enemy of mosquitoes, and can eat 3,000 mosquitoes a year!
This small insect is the juvenile state of the dragonfly.
What kind of creature is a water bug?
Uncover the mysteries and explore the magical world of the water bug
The water fly, this seemingly ordinary creature, actually hides many secrets that no one knows.
As larvae of dragonflies, water flies live quietly in streams and ponds, but their ferocious predation behavior is enough to be unguarded.
Water bugs are very characteristic of their way of survival, they often find an ideal habitat near the surface of the water or in the crevices of rocks, and sneak there, most of the time silent, like a silent killer.
This strategy of waiting for the rabbit allows the water fly to effectively ambush its prey.
The water flies stand in the wind, waiting for their unburdened lunch, and as soon as the prey appears, the water flies immediately launch a swift attack.
Their mouths are like high-tech masks, flexible and flexible, with extreme precision and speed, and when a small fish, tadpole or crab is targeted by a water fly and has no way to escape, they will be bitten by the water fly and will have no power to resist, and eventually become a meal for the water fly.
Adept at hiding and camouflage, their long, flat body size allows them to easily hide in crevices of aquatic weeds or sediment.
The body color of the water fly can vary depending on the environment, and the common brown and dark brown colors blend with the environment in the water, making them like stealth warriors, a camouflage technique that helps them to sneak up on attacks and better evade enemy police when they are in danger.
Although they may look slightly dull and rough, they are cunning and clever carnivores.
The eyelid has a well-developed eye that can detect small movements, and has a strong ability to observe and react, which allows the water fly to quickly catch the traces of mosquitoes and other small pests, and has already delivered a fatal blow.
In the natural ecosystem, the right amount of water flies has a positive effect on maintaining the ecological balance, and as natural enemies of nature, they can effectively control the population of mosquitoes and other pests, and provide people with a cool summer.
According to statistics, a water fly can kill about 3,000 mosquitoes a year, which plays a good role in preventing mosquitoes in rice fields and other areas.
However, under certain circumstances, the water bug may become overmultiplied and cause some distress to human activities.
In some economic fish breeding bases, if there are too many water flies, it will pose a serious threat to the fish and shrimp seedlings in the breeding ponds, and when the water flies look at the innocent small fish and shrimp, they have an overwhelming advantage and easily devour them one by one.
As a result, fish farmers can face huge financial losses.
There is no doubt that water bugs are mystical creatures that can be both beneficial and pests, depending on their number and environment.
Opinions vary on attitudes towards the water fly, but scientific studies have confirmed that the right amount of water fly is an indispensable member of nature, despite the bothersome it may cause.
Beneficial or pest?
The water bug, a seemingly inconspicuous insect, has sparked controversy in human society about beneficial insects and pests.
With its ferocious predatory skills and strong means of self-defense, it is regarded as a useful insect in the eradication of mosquitoes.
However, the diet of the water fly also includes small fish, small shrimp, etc., which makes many aquaculture farmers regard it as a pest.
The mouthparts of the water fly are composed of dozens of individual bristles, which can move 360 degrees like a surgical instrument, and can accurately capture the target in any direction, and the evolutionary function of this mask-like mouthpart makes the water fly one of the best in its kind of predatory ability.
And it also has a structure like a water pipe, which can not only inhale oxygen, but also spray water to propel the body to escape, this water spraying ability is the last resort of the water fly, and it will only be used when facing a great threat.
Receptors in the mouth of the water fly are sensitive to the unique smell of mosquito larvae, which helps them easily prey on these tiny targets, and the water fly plays an important role in controlling mosquito populations and preventing the spread of diseases, and is considered a beneficial insect.
However, the predation range of the water fly is not limited to mosquitoes, in the natural environment, the water fly also preys on small fish, shrimp and other aquatic animals.
This is not a major problem in maintaining the balance of aquatic ecosystems, but in farmed ponds, it can pose a threat to farmed fish and shrimp, causing economic losses to farmers, and in these specific environments, it is considered a pest.
The life of the water fly is full of drama, and from larvae to adults, their personalities and roles change dramatically.
As larvae, the water bug is ferocious and bloodthirsty and feeds on meat.
The adult dragonfly has become elegant and agile, and although it still feeds on mosquitoes, it no longer harms the small creatures in the water, a shift that has led to mixed reviews of the dragonfly.
This dual identity makes the water fly a highly controversial insect.
But whether as a beneficial insect or a pest, the water fly plays an important role in maintaining the ecological balance.
The number of water flies has plummeted
The water bug, a seemingly small aquatic insect that plays an important role in nature, is declining in the wild due to human disturbances, which has a negative impact on aquatic ecosystems.
I still remember when I was a child, I used to chase dragonflies with a small broomstick, and now the dragonflies flying all over the sky have disappeared now, and the main reason for this is the continuous decline of larvae.
Because of its unique taste and nutritional value, it has become a delicacy on some people's tables.
In some areas, it is fried and seasoned to become a snack for the local people, and because it lives in the water, it is more difficult to catch, so it is relatively rare, which also makes some people more inclined to use it as a rare ingredient.
However, this excessive predation has led to a gradual decrease in the number of water flies.
However, due to the extensive use of pesticides and the fact that many factories choose to build factories in rural areas, many water bodies are polluted and the living environment of the water flies is gradually deteriorating.
The sharp decline in the number of water flies not only affects the balance of aquatic ecosystems, but also has a negative impact on human life.
Bugs are natural mosquito trappers, and their decline means that mosquito populations are likely to increase, and people will continue to suffer in the end.
They are also an important indicator of environmental quality, and the pollution degree of the surrounding waters can be judged from the number and activity of water flies and dragonflies, which can provide reference for environmental governance.
In order to protect the water bugs, scientists have implemented a series of measures to promote the growth and survival of the water bugs, and also artificially cultivated the water bugs under suitable water quality conditions to supplement the shortage of wild water bugs.
Protecting the water bug is not an easy task and requires more human efforts, and we need to recognize the importance of the water bug in nature and their benefits to human life, so as to take effective protection measures.
The author said
The water bug, a seemingly inconspicuous creature, is an important part of the ecosystem and plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance.
Due to the use of pesticides and human hunting, the number of water bugs is decreasing dramatically, which is having an impact on the entire ecosystem.
In real life, have we truly achieved "everyone is responsible for protecting the ecology"? This is a question worthy of our deep thought.
We need to realize that every living thing has its own value, whether it is a water bug, a dragonfly, or any other living organism, it is an indispensable part of the ecosystem, and we should pay more attention to ecological protection, respect every life, and make the earth a better place.