An insect that can dive as deep as 30 meters? Or Neoplea striola, a New England insect that can hibernate underwater all winter long?
Indeed, hundreds of insect species spend much of their time underwater, where food may be more plentiful, but until now scientists were unsure how they breathed.
It's by using a 'bubble' of air they create with their water-repellent skin as an external lung, according to John Bush, associate professor of applied mathematics at MIT, and Morris Flynn, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Alberta. When submerged these insects trap a thin layer of air on their bodies. These bubbles not only serve as a finite oxygen store, but also allow the insects to absorb oxygen from the surrounding water.