I thought I would share the following macro images with you of very familiar insects. The use of macro provides far more detail than can be seen by the human eye.

The Water Measurer (Hydrometra stagnorum) is between 8 and 11mm long and appears to be completely black to the human eye. It is partly a scavanger (feeding on dead small animals) and also a carnivore (spearing with it's sharp mouth parts and thus capturing live insects that land close by).
This bug can walk on the water surface because small hairs on its feet repell the water thus supporting its weight. They move quite slowlyover the water and surface vegetation.


Copulating pair on a Lily leaf.


Seen feeding on an a fly that was unfortunate to have landed too close.

Hope these images are of interest.


http://www.imageinuk.com

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Peter
http://www.imageinuk.com

Peter

Good photo's

OB

Thanks for looking and your comments OB.

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Peter
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Are these relatives of the commonly called "pond skaters"? Lovely photos by the way

Thank you Daniel.

Both bugs belong to the order Hemiptera (True Bugs), Sub Order Heteroptera (semiaquatic bugs or shore-inhabiting bugs) and infra order Gerromorpha (bugs that walk on the surface of the water). At this point the pond skaters and water measurer diverge. Water measurers are in the family Hydrometridae whilst pond skaters belong to the family Gerridae.

I hope this brief description helps

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Peter
http://www.imageinuk.com

Cheers Peter

My pleasure and thanks again for your interest

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Peter
http://www.imageinuk.com