whirligig beetle
n. aquatic beetle that circles quickly on the surface of calm freshwater in groups | ||||
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Whirligig beetle definition was found in categories: Language, Idioms & Slang(2) Encyclopedia(1)
Whirligig beetle Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
| WordNet 2.0 |
whirligig beetle
Noun
1. aquatic beetle that circles rapidly on the water surface
(hypernym) beetle
(member-holonym) Gyrinidae, family Gyrinidae
Noun
1. aquatic beetle that circles rapidly on the water surface
(hypernym) beetle
(member-holonym) Gyrinidae, family Gyrinidae
| hEnglish - advanced version |
whirligig beetle
whirligig beetle
n : aquatic beetle that circles rapidly on the water surface
whirligig beetle
n : aquatic beetle that circles rapidly on the water surface
Whirligig beetle Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
| Wikipedia English - The Free Encyclopedia |
Whirligig beetle
The whirligig beetles are a family (Gyrinidae) of water beetles that normally live on the surface of the water. They get their common name from their habit of swimming rapidly in circles when alarmed, and are also notable for their divided eyes which can see both above and below water.
They are also known for their grouping behavior, a survival mechanism which helps them to avoid predation. Their places in the group are thought to be determined by a number of factors, including hunger, sex, species, water temperature, age, parasite level and stress level. Research being done on their behavior serves as a model to study the significance of chemical defense in relation to their position in the group, which relates to such fields as nanotechnology.
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