Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 08-03-2007 18:15
#2
This Hydrophorus has interesting behaivour. Males protect their females as in case of Odonata, males ride on females during long time. Other males (without pair) try to get males out of females (in most cases without succes). But, trying not to lost its female, male hunting from female too, like on this photo...
Posted by Igor Grichanov on 09-03-2007 10:50
#4
Maybe,
Hydrophorus praecox (Lehmann, 1822)
** Type locality: Germany: Hamburg. Palaearctic: England, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czech, Slovakia, Estonia, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Azores, China, Iraq, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Israel, Mongolia; Oriental: China, India; Australian: Australia, French Polynesia, New Zealand; Afrotropical: Aldabra, Cape Verda Is., Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Rodriguez, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Gambia, South Arabia, Mauritania, St Helena, Nigeria *
Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 09-03-2007 16:19
#7
Two more points to say:
1. t1 ventral apical spine is slightly visible on female on first image.
2. t1 ventral apical spine of male is not visible, but this male's spine is exatly in depression on female's thorax between halter and posterior spiracle. When male hunting from female back, the only part of male body which position never change is t1 ventral apical spine!
Nikita
Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 10-03-2007 23:15
#8
Looking on 2-nd photo my daughter told me that she thinks that male do not hunting from female back, but simply trying to stole female's prey. It seems to me that this explanation is either more cynical and more realistic.
I told my daughter:
1. I thank her.
2. I wish her better husband.