3 ms·

Granted, but I'm thinking more about how long the beetle can survive without access to air.

• UnFleshedOne 3y ago
  That's an aquatic beetle, a lot of those store their own air supply under their wings...
  • throwanem 3y ago
    Oh, I didn't know that! I can't get to the citation, but per Wikipedia [1] Hydrophilidae, the family in which this beetle is classified, do have that capability. Whether even with an air bubble they can hold out long enough is a separate question, as is whether their also-mentioned ability to extract usable oxygen from ambient water would be helpful in this environment - but being able to carry air under their elytra would certainly improve their odds. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophilidae https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophilidae