Trying to identify an aquatic creature

coillsaille

Just wondering if anyone could tell me what this in the photo is. I recently created a pond in a marshy part of the garden and have had plenty wildlife attracted to it such as dragonflies, water skaters, boatmen, etc. But today while skimming some leaves I caught this guy in the mesh and was stumped as to what it was. It was about 3cm long and the way it was wriggling made me first think lizard or newt. But its back was like the carapace of a prawn and it had a pincer similar to an earwig with which it was attacking the mesh under it.

Zoo4m8

Great diving beetle larvae,

coillsaille

Thanks Zoo4m8, it would have taken me a lot of googling to find the answer. Good to know my new pond is developing it's own ecosystem including such predators as these. I'm after watching a youtube clip of it preying on tadpoles.
I read a bit just there about the great diving beetle and apparently they fly at night and look for the reflection of water in moonlight. I have a few small solar lights shining on the pond at night so that must have made it highly visible to the one who produced this larvae.

Stigura

Seeing that boatman, to the right, made me shudder!

Such enchanting little things. When I was about eleven, I caught one in a pond and dropped it out of the net into the palm of my hand, to examine it.

I was peering at it closely. Fascinated. When, Bang!!! The pain almost paralysed me! I remember staggering to the bank, barely able to comprehend such pain existed.

Those things have scared the living daylights out of me ever since.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Stigura wrote: »

Seeing that boatman, to the right, made me shudder!

Such enchanting little things. When I was about eleven, I caught one in a pond and dropped it out of the net into the palm of my hand, to examine it.

I was peering at it closely. Fascinated. When, Bang!!! The pain almost paralysed me! I remember staggering to the bank, barely able to comprehend such pain existed.

Those things have scared the living daylights out of me ever since.

Oh Yes! Been there. It's comparable to a bee sting. Not a creature you want in the pond if you have goldfish. Their bite is venomous and they'd suck a goldfish dry in no time at all.

Stigura

Glory Be!!! You are the first person I've ever 'met' who has shared that experience! High Fives!


Tell ye what though? Bee sting? I was gonna say; I'd take a bee or wasp over one of Those things any day! I couldn't Believe the pain!

Gremlinertia

Oh my, brought back thirty year old memories there! Bloody fcuk I couldn't believe the little bugger packed such a punch. Innocent days..

coillsaille

Well that's good to know! I had no idea the boatman could sting, not that I was planning on handling them but still good info to store in the memory.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

coillsaille wrote: »

Well that's good to know! I had no idea the boatman could sting, not that I was planning on handling them but still good info to store in the memory.

Just to be pedantic. It's a bite rather than a sting.

Stigura

Love it!!! Shall I get the badges made? Nice little enameled broach ones. Water Boatman on them. And, what ....?

We need something to indicate indescribable pain. Thunder bolt? Hollow Point bullet?

We can meet, every few years. Stroke our badges and say things like; " F***, yeah!!! I remember That one, alright! The Batts Pond. Henfield. 19.... "

LMAO! What an exclusive little club we are!

coillsaille

Monroe Fit Prizefighter wrote: »

Just to be pedantic. It's a bite rather than a sting.

It is just a pure bite or is there any venom or something involved also? Just wondering based on the descriptions above, if it's pain caused by biting alone they must have some set of jaws on them!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's the bite that hurts, as it's designed to pierce prey. There is venom that acts on the prey but doesn't add to the pain of the bite for us.

Gremlinertia

Boatmen survivors club, secret handshake and all. Honestly i was warned about just about everything but never once them..

coillsaille

Gremlinertia wrote: »

Boatmen survivors club, secret handshake and all. Honestly i was warned about just about everything but never once them..

Likewise. I'm country raised and spent a good portion of my youth on the bog and around the lake near home so well used to seeing the boatman. But I had to reach my 40s to learn here now that it can actually hurt you!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Once stung by a Bullet Ant, all others are just minor temporary annoyances.

baaba maal

I thought I read that the bite from the (adult) Great Diving Beetle is extremely painful also?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

baaba maal wrote: »

I thought I read that the bite from the (adult) Great Diving Beetle is extremely painful also?

They have some jaws on them for sure but, having handled dozens of them, I have never been bitten.

cd07

Have handled loads of them in my time and never been bitten. After reading this.....I'll never touch one again!!!