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Post by NellyDee on May 12, 2018 12:58:57 GMT
I spent a fascinating hour (in the sunshine) watching the goings on under the water. In an attempt at getting natural plants and anything living or growing, we moved bucket loads of mud etc from a large puddle (which invariably dried out as the frogs spawned) and dumped it in place in the pond, also move a lot of frog spawn. So first there were lots of minuscule beetles and some water boatmen, masses of pond hoppers, some plants began to grow. To day I watched the taddies sunning themselves, beetles scurrying about and then I was taken by surprise by what looked like a centipede attach itself to a tadpole, it looked as if it was trying to drag the tadpole along to bottom to under some greenery. I did get some very blurry photos on max zoom. I spent ages going through a very old book I have of ponds, gave up and googled water beetles. There it was! It was Water Beetle Larva that was attacking the tadpole. I am now even more surprised! Just so you know what I am talking about here is the link that shows Water Beetle Larva. scroll down one it is the photo after the beetle. freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/pond-clinic/identifying-creatures-pond/water-beetles/
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Post by teasel on May 13, 2018 9:32:38 GMT
Have a look at the alderfly larva as well, I think they eat tadpoles too.
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Post by Harold Smith on May 13, 2018 10:56:14 GMT
Some Dragonfly larvae will attack and eat tadpoles.
Harold.
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Post by NellyDee on May 20, 2018 13:05:12 GMT
Been getting IDs on the life in my pond - Greater Diving Beetle + its lavae (eating all the tadpoles and each other as far as I can make out) Lesser Water Boatmen, Pond Skaters, Tadpoles, Newts and a couple of Salmon Parr (to keep the pond semi flowing the water comes into the pond from our burn and flows out at the other end back into the burn). The Parr are moving up the burns from the river at the moment so presumably a couple came in through the inflow pipe.
I was watching Pardosa amentata - Spotted Wolf Spiders scurrying in and out among the rocks around the pond, to my absolute surprise I saw one going into the pond swim under the water then come out again then did the same thing a few seconds later. I did not know spiders went under water.
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