| World wide, there are 10 orders and about 30,000 species of insects that are found associated with water in some life stage. Although relatively minor in comparison to numbers of species of terrestrial insects, 4 orders are exclusively aquatic as larvae: |
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Many "aquatic insects" are associated with the water's edge or surface and seldom face the challenges of being submerged and getting oxygen. Other insect orders including the Hemiptera, and Coleoptera are associated with water as adults and larvae. One of the most common examples of an insect associated with the water surface is the water strider that does not break the water's surface as it skates on top of the water found in streams, rivers, and ponds and, even the ocean! |
| Check out how insects have evolved
different methods to get oxygen under water (without scuba tanks) Check out the sea dogs of the insect world, the few marine insect species |