File: <HYGRO1.IMA>

Immature Stages of Hygrobiidae

Detailed information on immature stages of Hygrobiidae is being acquired. However, Balfour-Browne (1922a) noted that the larvae of Hygrobia hermani F. (Pelobius tardus Hbst) feed on worms and the immature stages of the less active aquatic insects. The mature larva leaves the water for pupation and forms a cell in the soil 5 cm or more beneath the surface. A single generation is produced each year, and overwintering is in the adult stage in the mud at the bottom of the pond.