为什么只有一种昆虫，斑虻属（Halobates），飞向了公海？

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.

Environmental Science and Engineering Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Water Desalination and Reuse Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.

PLoS Biol. 2022 Apr 13;20(4):e3001570. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001570. eCollection 2022 Apr.

Oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface and house a dizzying array of organisms. Mammals, birds, and all manner of fish can be commonly sighted at sea, but insects, the world's most common animals, seem to be completely absent. Appearances can deceive, however, as 5 species of the ocean skater Halobates live exclusively at the ocean surface. Discovered 200 years ago, these peppercorn-sized insects remain rather mysterious. How do they cope with life at the ocean surface, and why are they the only genus of insects to have taken to the high seas?

海洋覆盖了地球表面的 70%以上，栖息着令人眼花缭乱的生物。在海洋中，人们可以经常看到哺乳动物、鸟类和各种鱼类，但世界上最常见的动物——昆虫似乎完全不存在。然而，外表可能具有欺骗性，因为有 5 种海洋水黾属的昆虫专门生活在海洋表面。这些胡椒粒大小的昆虫是 200 年前发现的，它们仍然相当神秘。它们如何在海洋表面生存，为什么它们是唯一适应公海生活的昆虫属？