Aquatic bug for ID

Tom Jones · Post by **Tom Jones** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 8:18 pm

These are screen grabs from a video I'd like to upload to YouTube and link to here.. Unfortunately I'm clueless as the the identification of this bug, and I'd rather have the ID before I post the video

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I found it in a slow-moving outflow stream from Lake Silverwood in Southern California, in an algae clump. It's a bit more than 500µm long and has a long, pointed proboscis. It lived in a petri dish for at least a couple of weeks with damselfly and mayfly nymphs, generally wandering around on the surface of the water. Here, I found it underwater with an air bubble surrounding it. It popped to the surface and out of the bubble while the camera was running.

My keys have been rather useless except to point out it looks a bit like a bedbug. Maybe a waterbed bug?

Beyond that I'm at a loss.

Anyone have any ideas or a real ID??

Tom

CEN · Post by **CEN** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:04 am

Hi Tom,

looks like a member of the family Mesoveliidae (water treader), but i am not sure. Probably a nymph, not an imago.

Regards

Christian

billben74 · Post by **billben74** » Wed Jan 25, 2017 12:36 pm

Sorry no help on ID but really like your images.

carlos.uruguay · Post by **carlos.uruguay** » Thu Jan 26, 2017 6:14 am

Interesting images

Tom Jones · Post by **Tom Jones** » Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:27 am

Thanks, Christian. Being a nymph would help explain why I haven't been able to get very far in the keys. It was alive though for about three weeks and didn't exhibit any change I could see, while a couple of young Damselfly nymphs were steadily maturing.

billben and Carlos, thanks! They were shot through an Olympus SZH stereo scope. It does provide an interesting perspective!

Tom