Whirligig Beetle - Dineutus emarginatus

TL: ~10 mm. Broadly oval, bronzy black with a shiny ventral surface. Males have padded front tarsi. They have divided eyes and paddle-like legs.

Whirligigs are awesome, here are some reasons why:
-They are the only aquatic beetles that use surface tension for support. They move about on the surface of the water erratically

-They will expel defensive secretions (which smell like apples) from the tips of their abdomens if disturbed. This secretion is also a water repellent, which lowers surface tension so the whirligigs can ride a wave of recoiling water molecules!

-They carry an air bubble around with them on the tip of the abdomen, which they breathe in when they are underwater.

Habitat: Collected from a pond and photographed in an aquarium