Bugs

The various species of pond skater and water measurer are not truly aquatic. Instead they operate on the water’s surface, skating over it by means of feet equipped with water-repellent hairs and catching less fortunate insects which have stuck to it. Some species of pond skater can fly. A water measurer is smaller, wingless, and moves more slowly, usually staying around the water's edge. It has one other method of predation, which involves stabbing its feeding tube through the water surface to catch mosquito larvae and other animals.

The other water bugs, and their larvae, live within the water. The Water Scorpion crawls over the bottom mud and vegetation, seizing prey which range from insect larvae to small fish. Its tail is not a sting but a breathing tube which can be pushed out into the air. It can fly, but seldom does.

The Saucer Bug creeps among vegetation under the water, attacking insect larvae, water lice and other small creatures. It is fierce enough to pierce human skin when handled, inflicting a painful sting. This is the result of toxic saliva which bugs inject to kill and digest their prey. The bug carries air under its wings and in a layer on its under-surface. Although it has wings it is flightless.

Two other types of bug commonly encountered when pond dipping appear similar at first sight but perform very different roles within the freshwater community. Water boatmen and lesser water boatmen both use an oaring motion of their long legs to swim around. The former swim upside down, hence their alternative name of backswimmers. A backswimmer has particularly long hind legs and its back is keeled like a boat. The lesser water boatmen tend to be smaller, and they swim the right way up. Water boatmen feed on creatures up to the size of tadpoles and small fish, and are also capable of inflicting pain on humans. By contrast, lesser water boatmen are harmless creatures whose food is usually tiny pieces of plant remains and algae which are "hoovered" up using their feeding tubes. A lesser water boatman carries air in a bubble under its wings, while a water boatman holds a layer on its under-surface (which is actually on top). Both types can fly.

Pond Skater	Water Measurer
[Up to 17mm]	[Up to 12mm]
Saucer Bug	Water Scorpion
[Up to 16mm]	[Up to 23mm, plus 10-12mm breathing tube]
Lesser Water Boatman	Water Boatman (Backswimmer)
[< 3-15mm]	[Up to 16mm]

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