IRINA SHUMAKOVA, VIKTOR FURSOV, DMITRI GLADUN & LEONID
FRANTSEVICH
Swimming in the Diving Wasp Prestwichia aquatica (Hymenoptera:
Trichogrammatidae)
Entomologia Generalis 2003, 26: 225-234.
Abstract. Diving wasps, Prestwichia aquatica Lubbock
1864, were videorecorded in a flat microaquarium under a dissecting microscope.
Records were analyzed frame by frame. P. aquatica of 0.9 mm body size swims with
the aid of legs with 5-7 mm/s, striking about 7 cycles per second. Walking on
the dry ground or underwater, it advances 2.8-3.5 mm/s, stepping about 2.6 cycles
per second. Leg co-ordination in swimming as well as in walking was of the alternating
tripod type. Trajectories of the swimming power stroke in the middle and hind
legs are spaced.
(All videos are in AVI format. Left-click on an image to view
in a separate window or right-click and choose "Save File" to download)
Underwater walking in P. aquatica
(video)
Podogram of walking on dry ground in P. aquatica.
Black rectangles indicate swing phase. Ticks on the time scale every 10 frames,
0.4 s.
Podogram of underwater walking in P. aquatica.
Swimming in P. aquatica
(video)
Podograms of swimming in P. aquatica.
Trajectories of power stroke in the swimming P. aquatica.
Leg postures were selected from video stills. They are numbered beginning from
the start of the recovery stroke.
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