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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Staphyliniformia » Hydrophiloidea » Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae) » Unidentified immatures
Photo#201777
Pond Larva
Copyright © 2008 Kimberleigh H

Pond Larva
Kalamazoo County, Michigan, USA
July 14, 2008
Here is a tiny larval insect of some sort that was swimming around a small backyard pond (we're in SW Michigan). I caught it in a dish to get the photo, then released it. It's really active and moves rapidly about without ever holding still. Kind of translucent green, came out darker in the picture. Appears to be pretty bright white when viewed from above in a murky green pond! I'm not a good size-guesser, but I know this little guy is well under an inch long.
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Contributed by Kimberleigh H on 14 July, 2008 - 2:33pm
Last updated 22 April, 2012 - 3:29pm

Moved
Moved from Water Scavenger Beetles.
… Tim Loh, 17 September, 2011 - 9:56pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Beetles.
… Charley Eiseman, 11 October, 2008 - 3:09pm login or register to post comments

Larva.
Relatively certain this is a beetle larva, probably of a water scavenger beetle, family Hydrophilidae (contrary to the name they are mostly predatory). I would wait for additional comments from others, however. Nice to see another writer here at Bugguide. I like the anonymous quote, too:-)
… Eric R. Eaton, 14 July, 2008 - 3:33pm login or register to post comments

 
another vote for Hydrophilidae
*
… v belov, 10 October, 2008 - 7:50pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank you!
Thank you for the response! And so quickly, that was very nice of you.

Water beetle, huh? Neat! That must be why I had such poor luck looking it up, I didn't really have a good guess and the only critters that came immediately to mind as having water-babies were dragonflies and mosquitoes. I really enjoy watching him in the water, he undulates around like a little sea monster-- hence the file name. Then again, I suppose if you were the size of a pin head, he would indeed be a sea monster. :)

I admit I fudged on the quote a little bit... it is one of my favorites, but typical to me, I couldn't remember who said it, and at the moment I didn't feel like looking it up. (bad writer! no biscuit!)
… Kimberleigh H, 15 July, 2008 - 10:14am login or register to post comments

 
Bradley Miller
http://www.quoteworld.org/quotes/9016
… John R. Maxwell, 15 July, 2008 - 10:24am login or register to post comments

 
Oooh, thanks! Fixed the quote
Oooh, thanks! Fixed the quote, bookmarked the site.
… Kimberleigh H, 15 July, 2008 - 10:56am login or register to post comments

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