Tag Archives: Water Scorpion

Conservation, Natural History

Pond-Skimming Reveals Hornwort, Newts, Pondweed, Water Scorpion, Leeches

Pond-skimming. Netty is rescuing pondweed and animals especially damselfly nymphs to return them to the water.

We spent the time skimming off as much of the duckweed that was blanketing the surface of the pond as possible using pole nets. The idea is to let light filter down to the bottom of the pond to encourage the more delicate pondweeds. In the process, we had a good opportunity to check the status of some of the pond life that we don’t usually get to see, as the underwater plants are rather few beside the boardwalk – most likely because the continual sampling keeps them from growing much. But the rest of the pond is another story.

Rigid Hornwort, its shoots stiff as if covered in limescale
Canadian pondweed
Damselfly nymph with leaflike tail appendages
A stubby damselfly nymph with spiky tail appendages

There were at least two kinds of damselfly nymph, possibly bluetail and azure damselflies, judging by a pondside look at the book without a handlens. The little camera in close-up mode is just about capable of resolving detail at this scale, given good light. The various damselfly nymphs have differently-shaped tail appendages, which the book says are diagnostic.

Leaflike tail appendages of a long slender damselfly nymph, with feathery venation just about visible: I must have a look with the microscope and book!

We also caught a newt or two. We carefully put all the minibeasts and interesting bits of pondweed back in the water.

Hoglouse
Leech on finger 1
Leech on finger 2
A fine big Water Scorpion
Natural History, Wildlife

Small Skipper, Water Scorpion, bugs at Gunnersbury Triangle

It was a pleasure to do the butterfly transect today. Even before I reached the Gunnersbury Triangle, I saw a Red Admiral in the street.

Small Skipper - the Essex Skipper has more black on the tips of its antennae
Small Skipper – the Essex Skipper has more black on the tips of its antennae

Once inside, I was rewarded with several very small, very active Skippers with their jittery, chaotic, jinking flight. It is hard enough to follow with the naked eye, close to impossible with binoculars, and presumably difficult for bird predators (as well as the reason for the name Skipper). When one finally did perch, it was clear it was a Small Skipper, as the Essex Skipper (not limited to that county) has more black on its antenna tips.

Water Scorpion
Water Scorpion

Down at the pond, a primary school class and a group of enthusiastic teachers were catching Ramshorn Pond Snails, Newts, Dragonfly larvae and this fine Water Scorpion.

Tiny newt in metamorphosis, with four legs and gills
Tiny newt in metamorphosis, with four legs and large external gills

This small newt has nearly completed its metamorphosis from a tadpole. It has four legs, the hindlegs so thin they were nearly invisible to the naked eye, but its gills are still large, feathery and projecting from the sides of the head.

One of the large handsome hoverflies that frequents woodland glades came into the hut. This species has the front of the abdomen pale yellowish but no other stripes; the pale area seems to glow when the fly is hovering, presumably making it look sufficiently black and yellow to warn off predators (of course, many bees are black).

Large woodland hoverfly
Large woodland hoverfly

Finally, here’s a Strangalia maculata, one of our most handsome longhorn beetles. Nearby was another Red Admiral.

Strangalia maculata, a longhorn beetle
Strangalia maculata, a longhorn beetle