Look out above!
Look out below!
When trying to avoid predators or find prey it’s helpful to look in all directions.
But when you’re an animal that spends a lot of time at the surface of the water, it’s hard to do both at the same time …that is, unless you’re a whirligig beetle.
Whirligig beetles are about a half inch in length and range from grey to black to bronze in color. They’d be easy to miss if not for the fact that they like to hang out in floating groups and are noticeably energetic swimmers, rapidly gyrating at the water’s surface like a floating bean caught in a whirlpool.
While having the ability to dive underwater for extended periods of time, whirligigs are most often observed at the interface between the aquatic and the air-breathing. Having evolved at this unique boundary, they’ve developed a remarkable adaptation …two pairs of eyes.
With one pair above the water looking up, and another pair beneath the surface to peer into the abyss, they’re simultaneously on the lookout for predatory fish from below and birds from overhead.
Separate nerve centers in the beetle’s brain receive and integrate information from both sets of eyes, giving whirligigs visual superpowers when it comes to detecting predators, hunting for prey, or finding a mate.
If remarkable eyesight were not enough, these four-eyed beetles also pack a nasty-tasting chemical defense that oozes from their abdomen – making them an unappetizing choice for many fish.
Found across the country in habitats that include ponds, lakes, and streams, keep an eye out for these energetic little beetles …because whether you carefully approach them from above or below, they will surely see you coming.