98 The Under-Water World 



grooved, while those of the male are 

 smooth. The feet on the forelegs of the 

 male are expanded to form discs that 

 act as adhesive suckers ; these sucker 

 feet are used as graspers and are brought 

 into play during the breeding activities. 

 The female deposits her eggs in the stems 

 of aquatic plants and the young larvae, 

 after hatching, lead an existence as active 

 and voracious as that of the parents. 

 Both larva and adult require to rise to 

 the surface for air and a supply is 

 carried down, in the case of the adult, 

 in a cavity under the wing covers and 

 by absorption into the system through 

 the terminal air passages in the case 

 of the larva. When feeding is in pro- 

 gress the juices of the victim are sucked 

 through channels in the larva's jaws, 

 the skin being cast aside when empty. 

 The fully-grown larva, when about to 

 pupate, makes its way into the soil 

 at the side of the pond and there 



