Insects serve as agents of passive dispersal for freshwater limpets in the family Ancylidae. Previous studies of insect-mediated limpet dispersal have recorded limpets attaching themselves to beetles. We found the ancylid Laevapex fusczu attached to two individuals of the water bug Belostoma flumineum (Hemiptera: Belostoinatidae) at a pond in Michigan in September 2006. Our discovery is the first description of belostomatids as a potential mode of transport for ancylids. Additionally, the timing of the observation suggests a possible seasonal component to such dissemination events; this association has never been observed in spring and summer surveys at the same site.
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Walther et al. (2008) studied this question.
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