Water buzzard (Mizusumi) - Water buzzard (English name: Gyrinus japonicus)

Japanese: ミズスマシ(水澄) - ミズスマシ（英語表記）Gyrinus japonicus

An insect of the family Hylobatidae (illustration) in the order Coleoptera. It inhabits ponds, marshes, and streams on flat land. Its black, spindle-shaped body is about 7 mm in size. It has a steel-like luster. It is found throughout Japan and the Korean Peninsula. Adults can be seen from spring to autumn, gliding around on the water and catching small insects that fall onto the surface with their long front legs. The middle and hind legs are short and flattened, and they rotate them like a screw. Their compound eyes are divided into upper and lower parts, allowing them to see both in the air and underwater at the same time while swimming. They place their short antennae on the surface of the water, which function like a current meter.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

甲虫目ミズスマシ科の昆虫（イラスト）。平地の池沼，小川などに生息する。黒色の体は紡錘形で7mm内外の大きさ。鋼鉄状の光沢がある。日本各地，朝鮮半島などに分布する。成虫は春から秋まで見られ，水上を滑るように旋回し，水面に落下した小昆虫などを長い前脚でとらえる。中･後脚は短く扁平に変形していて，これをスクリューのように回転させる。また複眼が上下に分かれ，泳ぎながら空中と水中を同時に見ることができる。短い触角を水面につけているが，これは流速計と同じ役目をしている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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