What is this bug?

Ecalpon · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:49 pm Post subject: What is this bug?

Hi I found this in my new pond. Does anyone know what it is?
Just to show you it is a lovely pond of which I am very proud..javascript:emoticon(' Embarassed

')

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Discovered gardening while recovering from an illness. I'd like to turn it from grass to a wild life and human sanctuary.

inishindie · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 11:36 pm Post subject: bug

Hi Ecalpon

Welcome.

I see you have managed to send in the photo's. Nice looking pond.

The larvae in the glass is something like a diving beetle. I thought it was a dragonfly at first but they have feathery tails and don't have those scary looking pincers.

Here's a bit about them.. Courtesy of Countrysideinfo.co.uk

http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/successn/gdb.htm

Great Diving Beetle larvae are the young stage of a large water beetle.
They live in freshwater ponds and are fierce carnivores.

The large, pointed, sickle-shaped jaws are sunk into the prey like hypodermic needles. Digestive enzymes are pumped into the body of the prey and the resulting 'soup' is sucked back up.

Great Diving Beetle larvae will eat anything they can catch. Their favourite prey includes tadpoles and any other insects within reach. They are also cannibalistic and will eat other Great Diving Beetle larvae. Large larvae in the final stage before pupation, are of sufficient size to even catch and eat small fish.

The larvae often appear scorpion-like in the water because they move about with their tails extended vertically upwards. They will frequently push the tail up through the water surface to take in atmospheric oxygen through the terminal spiracle (air-hole).

Cheers

Ian
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www.gardening.ie

Ecalpon · Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:53 am Post subject:

Ooops... I think I should not have put it back in the water then!!! Just not good at killing anything.. but that might change when I see the little monsters all growed up!

Thanks Ian