Aquatic insect ID

BlueEL · Post by **BlueEL** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 12:53 pm

Can someone ID the insect from the picture below, I found it while cleaning my shrimp tank. Is it dangenous to shrimps?

Veneer · Post by **Veneer** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 1:40 pm

It's a dragonfly larva, and, depending on its size, may pose a risk to certain shrimp (especially juveniles).

bochr · Post by **bochr** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 2:58 pm

Recently all the smallest shrimplets dissapeared during a couple of weeks in my RCS breeding tank.
I discovered this little 1 inch long larvae two weeks before it transformed into a dragonfly.

BlueEL · Post by **BlueEL** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 3:45 pm

Thank you for the quick replies. My looks quite different from bochr. Its pretty small in size, only about 0.5cm.

I notice shrimps started disappearing for the last couple weeks. But it doesnt have any claws, I wonder how they catch the little shrimps.

bochr · Post by **bochr** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:08 pm

Dragonfly and Damselfly larvae can vary in size and form.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda ... toida.html

They are predators, with a catapult like mouth: http://hoopermuseum.earthsci.carleton.c ... ern6b.html