Hydrobius fuscipes · įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis «Hydrobius fuscipes · įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis^Thumbnails»Hydrobius fuscipes · įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis«Hydrobius fuscipes · įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis^Thumbnails»Hydrobius fuscipes · įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis«Hydrobius fuscipes · įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis^Thumbnails»Hydrobius fuscipes · įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis

Hydrobius fuscipes · įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis

  • Braunfüßiger Wasserkäfer
  • Uurrevesiäinen
  • įvairiaspalvis kūdravabalis
  • roodpootwaterkever, roodpootwatertor, roodpootwaterkevertje
  • wywłoka rdzawonoga

Most of the text below is from now defunct site www.ukbeetles.co.uk, where it was published under a CC BY 4.0 License.

The most widespread member of the genus and common throughout much of its range, occurring throughout Europe, Asia including the Himalayas, North Africa, temperate parts of the Middle East and North America. It is the only species to occur in the U.K. and is generally common and often abundant north to Orkney. The species inhabits both fresh and brackish water, preferring to live in small and sunlit pools and ponds with plenty of marginal vegetation, and will often occur in temporary pools. Adults appear during the first warm days of spring, they fly well and come to light, often far from suitable habitat, and will alight on reflective surfaces e.g. car bodywork. They occur year-round with the peak of abundance from July to September, during the winter they often turn up in samples of marginal vegetation, leaf litter and tussocks etc. Adults swim with alternate movements of the legs and replenish their air by surfacing head-first. Mating occurs in the spring and females oviposit and construct egg cocoons which are attached to marginal plants. The larvae appear in May and June about a week after oviposition and soon begin feeding upon small invertebrates etc. when larger they hunt aquatic prey and drag it out of the water for consumption. Pupation occurs from mid-June and new generation adults emerge from July onwards creating a peak of abundance as they add to the previous generation adults.

The size and elytral punctation will readily identify this species. 5-8 mm; convex-oval and flat below, entirely black and weakly metallic or with the lateral margins and appendages pale. The entire upper surface is finely punctured. Head with an oblique series of punctures beside each eye. Antennae 9-segmented with a 3-segmented club, inserted in front of the weakly convex eyes. Palps about as long as the antennae. Pronotum transverse and widest at the base; the lateral margins bordered and with a group of large punctures inside the front angles. Elytra completely covering the abdomen, each elytron with 10 punctured striae and an abbreviated scutellary stria; odd-numbered striae have a series of larger punctures, at least in the basal half. Interstices flat, becoming convex towards the apex.

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