APROCEAN

 

tardibabe

This first chironomid larva was VERY hungry for a bite of that Stentor coeruleus, but not more 😂 The second one immediately chilled when she started munching on cyanobacteria filaments! That’s the good stuff 😎 The way these larvae move is so intense and dynamic, it’s rare to find some that are willing to stay still in front the camera 🙄

Insect larvae, just like this chironomid one, are usually abondant in healthy freshwater habitats such as streams, rivers, lakes and ponds. They usually become flies, mosquitoes, mayflies, stoneflies or caddisflies. They play an important role in aquatic ecosystems since they’re a major food source for fish, frogs, birds and semi-aquatic mammals. They also are litter decomposers, rock cleaners and are important for nutrient recycling cycles.

Aquatic insect larvae are also very sensitive to polluants such as pesticides and are thus used as bio indicators of freshwater quality!

Soundtrack was brought to you by the amazing @arithmetikmusiq ✨

Video taken with my iPhone mounted on a BA310E Motic microscope with an @ilabcam adapter 🔬

Reference:

Katagi, T., & Tanaka, H. (2016). Metabolism, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of pesticides in aquatic insect larvae. Journal of Pesticide Science, 41(2), 25–37.