Today I’m going to try something new and discuss not a plant or a mushroom, but an insect. It hasn’t rained in weeks and there’s not a whole lot going on in the fungal kingdom (visibly, anyways). Besides, The Brown Water Scorpion, Ranatra fusca, is a pretty cool thing to find. I found one for the first time yesterday on the edge of a creek, probably preying on the many tadpoles moving around in the shallow water.
One of the coolest things I learned about this species is that it breathes underwater through a kind of snorkel (its tail). They hold themselves perfectly still parallel to the vertical stalks of plants, blending in like a stick bug, breathing through two tubes connected to their abdomen. Also interesting is that they can trap and store air in a bubble using water repellent hairs. I don’t understand exactly how this works, but apparently it functions something like a scuba tank, allowing them to breath even when fully immersed, and to survive the winter when the surface freezes over.
Although they are harmless to humans, Brown Water Scorpions are pretty impressive predators. Once they’ve caught something to eat, they puncture it with their mouthpart and suck the internal fluids out.
For a video of this in action, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewYPUkGjPds
recycled paper clips 