Stenus angustus

Casey, 1884

Stenus angustus is a in the Steninae, known for their specialized for life near water. Members of the Stenus exhibit a range of water-gliding abilities, with some capable of skimming across water surfaces using gland secretions that reduce surface tension. This species is documented from North America, with records from both Canada and the United States.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stenus angustus: //ˈstɛ.nus æŋˈɡʌs.təs//

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Distribution

North America. Documented from Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan) and the United States (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wisconsin).

Behavior

Members of the Stenus are of small such as . Some in this genus employ a distinctive hunting technique: ejecting mouthparts using blood pressure to capture . The ends in with adhesive pores that secrete a glue-like substance to secure prey.

Similar Taxa

  • Stenus biwenxuaniBoth are Stenus from similar geographic regions; S. biwenxuani was described from Ningxia, China and is known to be a water glider found on shore, while the water-gliding capability of S. angustus has not been explicitly documented.
  • Stenus liupanshanusAnother Stenus described from the same region as S. biwenxuani; S. liupanshanus inhabits leaf litter and is believed to lack water-gliding ability, highlighting intrageneric variation in this trait that may also apply to S. angustus.

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