Open research questions
Apart from understanding how exactly Halobates sp. came to be the only genus of insects to live on the open ocean – in spite of insects making up the majority of all animals – those animals offer unique research questions that could have applications in materials sciences. For example, it is still unknown how they can move on the water surface without slipping, but yet their legs are capable of effortlessly detaching from the surface in order to jump.
Incapable of diving or hiding, Halobates must protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation. Although it is known that the cuticle of Halobates sericeus filters more than 99.9998 percent of the UV radiation at the 280 nm wavelength, the chemical properties that confer this protection are still unknown.
This surprised me...
Five live on the surface of the open ocean and only occur near the coast when storms blow them ashore.
