Complex cues in habitat selection: Exploring the influence of vegetation and polarised light on backswimmers in predator‐free environments

Abstract Organisms inhabiting aquatic ecosystems must navigate complex visual and structural environments when selecting habitats, integrating multiple environmental cues to maximise survival and reproductive success. A key conceptual challenge is understanding how animals prioritise different cues, such as vegetation structure, shading and polarised light reflection, in making habitat choices. This study examines how the backswimmer Notonecta glauca selects habitats under controlled, predator‐free conditions, focusing on the combined influence of vegetation density, shading and surface polarisation cues. Outdoor experiments were conducted in artificial pools within enclosed arenas where vegetation cover and light exposure were manipulated to assess the relative importance of these factors in dispersal behaviours. Notonecta glauca exhibited strong preferences for open, fully sunlit habitats, while the degree of polarised light reflection had little direct effect on habitat choice. Although vegetation cover within each pool influenced the amount of polarised light produced, it did not independently drive selection behaviour in the absence of predation risk. These findings challenge the widespread assumption that polarised light is a dominant habitat cue for aquatic insects, emphasising instead that ambient light levels and habitat openness are primary drivers of habitat selection. The results suggest that generalist predators like N. glauca prioritise general, consistently available visual cues over specialised, condition‐dependent signals like polarisation. This insight advances understanding of sensory cue integration and highlights the need to reconsider habitat selection models and ecological adaptability in dynamic, heterogeneous landscapes.