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Lemleleediku (Cataclysta lemnata) röövik,
2024-12-14
- Classification
- Photograph
- Museum
- Wikimedia Commons
- Rights
- CC BY 4.0, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Kids profiles and older: it shows nature, places, still life or a children's book. How works are placed
About this work
The image depicts the larva of Cataclysta lemnata, an aquatic species that lives entirely underwater and constructs protective cases from plants using silk. The larvae primarily consume the invasive duckweed Lemna minuta, a plant known for its rapid growth and negative impacts on ecosystems. C. lemnata is a multivoltine species, with several generations per year, allowing its larvae to feed continuously throughout the year. In later developmental stages, the larvae consume large amounts of plant material, making them effective biocontrol agents. The larvae also use Lemna plants not only for food but to construct floating cases, which protect them from predators and aid buoyancy. This species is a remarkable example of adaptation to aquatic life, as the larvae breathe dissolved oxygen directly through their thin skin. This specimen is about 15-20mm long.
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