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Mystery aquatic bug

Lil Stinkpot

Lucky Greenhorn
I found an interesting critter today. I won't say from who I got it, just in case it's a pest. I doubt it, though.

Alas, it is effectively microscopic, and I cannot take a picture of it; I haven't the necessary tools. (I wish I did!)

I tried to look it up, but Google just brought up aphids on exposed water lilies, mayflies, and caddie bugs. Nothing that matches mine.

I found it clinging to the stem of an aquatic CP, when I took a sprig to work to ogle under the microscope. At 20x, I can see all the trigger hairs, spines, floats, other neat things. The bug looks almost exactly like a brown, armored, thick-shelled aphid, complete with a sucking proboscis. It was quite at home in the water, and even found the time to molt once. If I can get it to hold still long enough, and if my calipers don't scare it off, I can measure it later. For now... It is between .020" and .030", about the size of a Utric. trap. I hope it doesn't get eaten by what else is in there, big enough to eat it for sure.

If I have missed any details that may be helpful, ask. I remember it's image well.
 
Nope, neither of those. It really does look like an aphid-- six legs, two antennae, one proboscis, even two rear appendages (forgot what they're called). But it clearly has a thicker shell, not like the easily smooshed aphid.
 
Aquatic aphids are definently real, and I've had alot of problems with them! They destroyed multiple leaves/stems/flowers on my waterlilies and lotuses last season, does anybody on here know how to kill them? It might be helpful to know just in case they decide to take residence in my plants again this year.
 
There are also aquatic/semi-aquatic weevils since you mentioned distinct proboscis. Although that size is small. There are also several different aquatic Hemipterans (True Bug Order and some are tiny) that would have a distinct proboscis. Would need a photo or drawing.
 
I have never heard of aquatic aphids. It could be.

I presume I'll never know, or at least, won't know until I get a good microscope, with a way to take pictures.

Not weevils. Like true bugs, with the down-ward pointing mouth parts. Exactly. Like. An aphid. ;) Just under water, with no "scuba gear" (trapped air bubbles, fancy snorkel tubes, etc.)

Wait until tomorrow, when I can sketch the other critter I saw today. This one's weird.









Dangit! I need a microscope already.
:rolleyes:
 
I have never heard of aquatic aphids. It could be.

I presume I'll never know, or at least, won't know until I get a good microscope, with a way to take pictures.

Not weevils. Like true bugs, with the down-ward pointing mouth parts. Exactly. Like. An aphid. ;) Just under water, with no "scuba gear" (trapped air bubbles, fancy snorkel tubes, etc.)

Wait until tomorrow, when I can sketch the other critter I saw today. This one's weird. Dangit! I need a microscope already.
:rolleyes:

I'm just brainstorming. What about the family Pleidae-pygmy backswimmers? and resemblance-these are only 2-3 mm. These are neat bugs. See http://bugguide.net/node/view/49815. Here are photos of aquatic aphids http://bugguide.net/node/view/480557 since you mentioned rear appendages, maybe you received the plant from someone that grows water lillies. From my reading the aquatic stage is prior to reaching maturity, and then of course they continue to cause havock in your garden ?? I like insects and their taxonomy. Thanks for posting.
 
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That aphid is the right color, and certainly right shape. Well, in that case, I'll leave it in with the aquatic CPs, and see how long until it disappears. :mwahaha:



I never did sketch the really neat thing, but there's the other microorganism I saw. And that's the best I can call it. It was very tiny, it can easily fit in the mouth of most Utrics. It's translucent algae-green and cylindrical, with the read end tapered. The thing had no eyes, no visible moving parts, just a clear halo all around it, like it was covered n cilia. The thing moved randomly, mostly in a spiral, and often ran into stuff. There's a groove along the "top" or "front", that looks like a "mouth" of sorts.

If I remembered what class of micros it belongs in, I'd Google it in an instant, but I forgot. :blush: This is the first micro-crittier I've seen live, beside textbook pictures. Wayyy cool!

Since this one came in a jar of muck from my own pond, it's a creature from my own "Black Lagoon". Heh.
 
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