Aquatic insects are an essential part of a balanced water ecosystem, and the ones that are present can tell you a great deal about your pond and how healthy or unhealthy it is. For example, dragonflies are sensitive to pollution and therefore tend to be found in areas with good water quality, while leeches and mosquitoes are pollution tolerant, meaning that if they’re around, there’s a chance that your water needs some TLC.
Biologists often catch aquatic insects in water to deduce how healthy that area is, while of course performing other tests such as measuring oxygen and nutrient levels. This makes them exceptionally useful bio-indicators in freshwater ecosystems.
In addition to indicating water quality, aquatic insects also perform a variety of functions for your pond. Some will feed on other insects (for example, dragonfly nymphs have been known to eat mosquito adults and larvae); others consume algae and parasites; most can provide food for your fish, turtles, frogs, and so on; and some, such as caddisflies, help break down dead and decaying matter that might otherwise build up.
While insects are often viewed as somehow undesirable, gross, or frightening, the reality is that there are millions of species of them, and their place toward the bottom of the food web means that they are relied on heavily by everything else – even us! Insects enable life as we know it, and are just as important in your pond as they are anywhere else. Here, we will cover insects that are found directly in freshwater ponds as well as those that live around ponds but are not necessarily in the water.
What Water Insects Can You Find in Ponds?
1) Mayfly Larvae
Mayflies begin their life cycles in water, where the mother lays her eggs on the surface and they either sink to the bottom or attach to some sort of relatively still surface, like a plant leaf, a log, or a rock. The eggs hatch after about two weeks, and both the larvae and nymphs are both found in water, where they spend up to a year of their life as they mature, feeding primarily on detritus and algae, but occasionally they will eat other small aquatic insects. The following spring or summer, in the course of about 24 hours they will leave the water, molt into adults, fly about in a horde, mate, lay eggs in the water, and die. This sudden event often results in mass carpets of mayflies, which may need to be removed from your pond if it’s too much for your fish to consume.
2) Dragonfly Larvae
Like mayflies (and any other species on this list that includes “larvae” in the title), dragonflies begin their lives directly in the water as eggs that then hatch into larvae and develop further into nymphs. The adults don’t live in the water itself, but are always found near freshwater, typically slow-moving sources such as ponds near where they were initially born and will often land on the water’s surface to get a drink or hunt for small prey.
Interestingly, both the nymphs and the adults have almost 360 degree vision, which makes them excellent predators – they often feed on other insects, small mollusks and crustaceans, and occasionally very small fish fry (this shouldn’t be much of a concern for you, though, as they don’t prey on fish much and most aren’t large enough to be able to consume any fish at all). The nymphs stick toward the pond bottoms, where they are able to blend in, and abdominal gills enable them to obtain oxygen from the water (these gills are then, of course, lost once they enter the adult stage).
3) Stonefly Larvae
Stoneflies are of the species that are intolerant of pollution, so having them in your pond is a good sign! In fact, they require between 8 and 10 parts per million (ppm) of dissolved oxygen. It’s possible for them to spend several years underwater as larvae or nymphs before they emerge as adults. Like mayflies, the adults have an incredibly short lifespan – about a day or two, just long enough to mate and lay eggs. The nymphs have gills in their armpits that enable them to stay submerged, and are typically less than an inch in size, making them palatable for many fish.
4) Water Strider
Water striders, often nicknamed “skater bugs” because of the way that they appear to skate atop the water’s surface, can be found all around the world. They spend their entire lives in the water, both as nymphs and as adults. Their skin contains tiny specialized holes called spiracles that enable them to absorb oxygen directly into their bodies without lungs or gills. They look quite mosquito-like, but don’t bite or otherwise cause harm – they just skim about on the water’s surface, feeding on living and dead insects as well as algae. They make a tasty treat for just about any fish, but their long legs are hypersensitive and are able to pick up on slight vibrations, making them a bit of a challenge to catch.
5) Damselfly Larvae
Like stoneflies, damselflies are also incredibly sensitive to pollution and thus are used to monitor water quality. They’ll spend their larval and nymph stage in the water, and their adult stage flying and living near the water. The adults look quite similar to dragonflies as they also have a double set of membranous wings, but while a dragonfly’s back wings are larger than its front wings, the wings of a damselfly are all approximately the same size. They often prey on other insects, and both nymphs and adults may be eaten by fish.
6) Water Bug
Of all the insects on this list, water bugs may be the ones that you want the least. They can grow quite large (some have reached upwards of half a foot in length, though 3 to 4 inches is more common for an adult that’s been around for a couple of years), and they’re predatory. They have armored bodies and a long, very strong “beak” that is able to easily pierce other insects as well as fish, and humans if we get too close or happen to step on them. It’s quite a painful bite, too, as they inject toxic saliva into their victim that can immobilize prey that’s on the smaller side, though they won’t hesitate to attack and consume things that are up to 8 times their own size.
Typically, they stay in the water where they’re fast swimmers despite their large size, but during mating season will fly from pond to pond in search of a mate and to lay eggs. They’re hardy and can fairly easily overwinter so long as the water doesn’t freeze solid, meaning that they’re able to live for many years, continuously growing. Younger, smaller water bugs can sometimes be eaten by some fish, but you should still try to remove them from your pond to prevent them from growing too large and potentially harming pond residents. They’re also pollution tolerant, and while this doesn’t necessarily mean that your water quality is poor if they’re around, it does warrant a quick water test.
7) Water Boatmen
Water boatmen are fairly small, usually about 5 to 15 millimeters long, and have four unique paddle-like back legs, two on either side of their body, and two normal front legs. These paddled legs help to propel them along beneath the water’s surface, where they spend their entire lives. From time to time they’ll come to the surface for air, then dive back down carrying a small air bubble with them that allows them to stay submerged for extended periods of time.
They are typically non-predatory, meaning that they mostly feed on algae and detritus, but they have been known to eat mosquito larvae. They may also feed on plants, injecting the plant with enzymes that help break it down so the water boatman can then simply suck it up. Unless you have a lot of water boatmen, they don’t usually cause excess damage to plants.
8) Caddisfly Larvae
Caddisflies are another species that is often used to measure water quality, as they’re not able to survive in water that has below about 7 ppm of oxygen or is polluted. Caddisfly larvae and nymphs can be easily identified by turning over rocks – if you find case-like structures (about a centimeter or less in length) on the rocks that are composed of tiny bits of substrate, grains, plant matter, and pebbles, there’s very likely a tiny caddisfly larvae inside. They build these tubes both to protect themselves and to help catch food in slowly moving water.
Some caddisfly species will use plant matter and other available resources to build a small net-like structure to catch algae and small invertebrates that happen into the net, much like a spider’s web. They characteristically spend a year or less as larvae and nymphs before morphing into adults, where they, like mayflies, fly out of the water and mate within a day or two, lay eggs in the water, and die.
9) Backswimmer
These little guys look quite similar to water boatmen and also possess the paddle-like hair covered legs, but they swim on their backs and this is the easiest way to distinguish the two species. They’re not considered harmful, and can overall be seen as a functioning and normal part of your pond’s ecosystem. Unlike water boatmen, backswimmers tend to be predatory and feed primarily on other insects, with the nymphs sometimes even being cannibalistic (though this may help keep the population at bay and encourage survival of the fittest).
i found something that looks like a damselfly larve, but it is in my house! what is this?!
Hi Tyann,
Apologies for the late reply!
It could have been a damselfly nymph, as these can have wings and can be found out of water as well as in it, since they’re sort of in-between life stages as nymphs. It could also be a stonefly nymph or a mayfly nymph, as these all look rather similar! Damselfly nymphs will have three paddle-like tails, while the other two will have long, thin antennae-like tails. It’s possible that the larvae could have wandered out of water, though this would be unusual. Regardless of which it is, they’re all harmless! Simply move it/them outside near a water source and they’ll move on. They’re actually all three indicators of good water quality, so that means whatever nearby water source they came from is in good health!
Hello, I found a green bug living inside my pond, i don’t know how to describe it but i will try to catch it and send the photo to you, thank you
Hi Lily,
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then we’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was actually a silverfish. Yes indeed, the nymphs of fresh water insects can be in weird places, but silverfish baffle people all the time. Don’t feel like you should know what it is, because they lead quite a secretive life. The cool thing about them; they are an ancient type of creature unchanged since before the dinosaurs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverfish
I know it’s “just Wikipedia”, but it’s a good start. People rely on it all the time and other people harshly criticize, but the truth is it’s a case-by-case basis with Wiki, and depending on your needs, it can be helpful.
I don’t know the aquatic inverts like the Pond Informer does, I’m more of a fish person; just offering something that might be another option in the future for what can resemble the nymphs and be in your house.
Yes, if you live in a warm place it could also be a firebrat, which is related to a silver fish but looks more like a damsel fly nymph. Much more likely to be found indoors, especially somewhere very warm and dry.
Hi!
Yesterday I saw a black larva which I thought was eating a brown fly/mossie type thing – but on reflection the black larva stopped moving, the blown fly skated on the water for a few seconds then flew off…what could that have been, please/ the larva was really black with a large head. All in all about 1cm long. Can’t recognise it from the pictures here.
Also – all winter there have been brown muddy striations, seemingly made out of mud, perhaps containing larvae, looking like deposits (striped same direction )on the rocks in the pond. Have looked everywhere, have you any idea what they are? (Are they dangerous??)
Thank you!
Hi Annie!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Did the black larva appear beetle-like, fly-like, crab/scorpion-like, centipede-like, etc.? There are many different types of macroinvertebrates, and the same species can look remarkably different depending on its life stage, and many species look the same as other species at different points in their life cycle. Any further descriptive clues that you can get will be immensely helpful!
As for the mud deposits on your rocks, those are likely caddisfly larvae! They build tube-like nests for themselves on the bottoms of rocks with mud, sand, pebbles, twigs, and just about anything else small enough for them to use. It helps protect them from predators and water currents while they’re weak and developing. They’re not only harmless, caddisflies prefer healthy, non-polluted waters, so I’d say they’re a good sign for your pond! They also provide a good protein source for any fish that choose to eat them, and help control algae populations. As adults, they of course leave the pond and fly, providing food for birds, bats, and the like. Overall a good species to have around! If the tubes were there all winter, they may just be empty tubes from last year. Regardless, though, not at all a threat to your pond!
Hey This little critter is bugging me (lol) I found loads of them in a little pond in my garden. They looked like little twigs at first, but on closer inspection they are actually little insects inside individual mossy covered ‘shells’. The face looks almost wasp like, when it decided to come out, but I have no clue what they are. Can anyone help me? Thanks so much
Hi Jay,
Thanks for reading!
Without a picture, it’s hard to know for certain. Caddisfly larva are known for making themselves little homes from mud, twigs, pebbles, and whatever they can find, so it could be that. Though they tend to look a bit more scorpion-like as opposed to wasp-like. It could also be a dragonfly or damselfly larva, as those do indeed look rather wasp-like and may crawl inside of something like a shell for shell-ter (ha, just adding to your pun!). Regardless of which of those three it is, they’re all considered indicators of a healthy ecosystem, so kudos to you!
Hi Beckie,
When I was a teenager we were assigned a school project to search for creatures in streams. I found a small critter with a cone shaped shell made of sand. I brought them to the biology teacher who said he had no idea what they were. I have searched many times to identify them without luck. I just read your post about the Gadfly and looked at some pictures and they are what I found. Finally my search is ended. Thank you. Rodger
Excuse me I meant Caddisfly larva.
Hi Rodger,
Thanks for reading and sharing your experience! When I was in college, I had an ecology class in which we surveyed for stream macroinvertebrates, and never had any idea that those funky little creatures with shells made of sand and rocks were caddisflies until then, either! I’m glad that this article was able to help you solve the mystery!
Hello I have little white round 8 legged bugs in my fish tank but they are not copepods or larva, could you perhaps try and tell me what they are?
Hi Bob,
Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to say without seeing them. Do you happen to have any pictures? If so, we don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then we’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
Hey Beckie, I have a larvae worm in a turtle tank that I can’t identify, could you help me? They are tan to light reddish in color, a foot type hook on one end, and mandible jaws with two eye spots and some fuzz antennae in front. Only 2-5mm long, thread thin, had to look under microscope. They swim really creepy like a double twisting s-shape in the water. I hope my turtles aren’t in danger of a parasite? Hard to eradicate, but I’ve added a UV stage to my filter..
i just discovered hundreds of tiny black and white bugs, on my lily pads. I have a picture. can you help id?
Hi Linda,
I don’t see a photo, but it sounds like they may be lily aphids. I’m not positive on this without further info. They’re often brown in color but can be lighter or black as well. These can reproduce quickly, so it’s in your best interest to try to control them. Here’s a guide to lily aphids: https://uwm.edu/field-station/waterlily-aphid/
Let us know if these look/sound like the bugs that are on your lily pads!
Hi just been fishing in my pond, found a few tadpoles, and a newt tadpole and also some small thin creatures about 6 to 8 millimetres long like small worms. They appeared to have legs, or that may be my eyes. any ideas.
Hi Lynn,
Can you provide any other details? It could be a number of things – midge larvae, caddisfly larvae, or something else if it didn’t actually have legs. Where was it located – approximate depth, was it hiding under or near something like a rock or log, was it in the open, etc.? Could you also tell what color it was, by any chance?
Hi, while tidying up some pond oxygenator I noticed quite a few small creatures living on them. After lots of googling I haven’t seen anything that remotely looks like them, so wondered if you have any thoughts? They’re too small to take a photo unfortunately. About 6mm long, 1-2mm at its widest, pale grey/transparentish, smooth, sleek shape going to a tapered end. Out of water they flap around a bit like a fish. No obvious eyes, no stripes or segments, and no protrusions (legs, antennae, fins). They are quite flat, and the head is a little bulbous, a bit like a tadpole (but you only see this side-on, unlike a tadpole where you can see the head from above). Thanks in advance!
I’m wondering if they are freshwater shrimp?
I live in Northern California. I have two koi ponds connected by a small “river.” There are little black beetle or snail-like critters living on rocks underwater in the slow moving water of the river. There are none in the ponds. They are mostly shiny black but some have a bit of brown. They are about 2-8 mm. I see hints of legs but nothing really clear. I see some antennae. They appear to have a pointed end some with a small white dot on the end. They move around slowly. I would send pics but I don’t see a way to do this.
Any help with identifying these guys would be appreciated.
Hi Renee,
My instinct tells me that they are young water penny beetles, but it’s hard to know for sure without seeing them. Macroinvertebrates can differ so much depending on the region, so what I’m more familiar with may not be what lives there in California. Water pennies are fairly widespread (and harmless), but just in case I’ve attached a really in-depth identification guide for California macroinvertebrates that are commonly found in freshwater streams and ponds. It’s quite long, but it’s an excellent resource and will hopefully be of more use to you than I am! https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/swamp/docs/cwt/guidance/351e_bugstogo0414.pdf
Just had water lettuce delivered and we always checks first before adding to pond as we have over 30 koi! This ugly looking earwig looking bug is swimming about. It swims with antenna head shaped like a v.. first and can wiggle about. Color is black Please help. and I’ve noticed many are asking how to post a picture and myself included!
Hi Paulette,
What part of the world do you live in? Species can vary significantly from region to region. From your description, however, I believe that it may be alderfly larvae (this is actually a beneficial species that shouldn’t harm anything, but rather provide food for fish and birds). If you’d like to take a look, I’ve attached a short and sweet guide to some of the more common macroinvertebrates found in the U.S.: https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Documents/Benthic/WVSOSAdvanced_MacroGuide.pdf
In terms of pictures, I’ll pass along your feedback! As you can imagine, Pond Informer has received some unsavory comment submissions over time, which we filter out, and adding in a function to allow for the posting of pictures poses some extra threat of that. I’ll pass it along, though, and see what we can do 🙂
Hi Paulette,
Apologies for the late reply!
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a site we use that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
I found millions of tiny black worm-like things in my pond waterfall. What are they and will they hurt my Koi and goldfish?
I have pictures but not sure how to post to this.
Hi J. Lucas,
Sounds like they might be black fly larvae or midge larvae. The adult flies will lay their eggs in the pond, and in the spring these develop into a great many larval worms. They should be gone within a few weeks, and won’t hurt your fish!
Hi J. Lucas,
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a site we use that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
Hi,
In the dregs of the bucket in which I was soaking my worm castings came these larvae (?) about an inch long, whitish, with a tail or flagelate device on one end. Seemed happy to be swimming around. Any ideas? I am in Southern California.
Thanks very much.
Hi I have a 1 cm bug in my pond body in 2segments red, tail white with black dots live in UK . Any ideas? Have a photo not sure how to upload thanks
Hi Julie,
It’s a bit hard to tell without seeing it (we don’t currently have a photo uploading feature in place), but my guess would be some sort of fly larvae. I’m afraid I’m most familiar with US species, as that’s where I’m from, but after some digging I’ve found a resource that may prove helpful to you! It’s a guide to macroinvertebrates worldwide, and while it doesn’t have all species, it does have the most common and moderately common ones, so I’m hoping that it will be able to better guide you to an answer than I can. Just click on any species group and it’ll take you to a more detailed page! Hope that this helps.
https://www.macroinvertebrates.org/
hi, i seem to have alot of larvae in pond , they look like tadpoles but with arms ,theres little oxygen flow , is it okay to still swim in it as i been ? thank you
Hi Leticia,
It’s hard to know for certain without personally seeing them, but those sound like salamander larvae to me! Those are perfectly safe for you to swim with, but do try not to touch them as their skin is incredibly sensitive and will soak up anything that’s on yours (such as lotions, oils, perfumes, etc.).
Hi there
I recently purchased some water starwort however it’s branches have been breaking off, just found this beetle on it and wondered if it could be the culprit? Or any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Just seen there’s nowhere to upload a photo, do you have an email address I could send it to?
Hi Angela,
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be!
Hi there
I recently purchased some water starwort however it’s branches have been breaking off, just found this dark red beetle on it and wondered if it could be the culprit? Or any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Just seen there’s nowhere to upload a photo, do you have an email address I could send it to?
Hi,
I found tiny black creatures in my garden water feature, they are about 5-6mm in length, swim quite fast, not sure if they are tadpoles as found a frog about 2 years ago on a main road, I put him in the garden as would have been killed on the busy road. Not sure if these are fly larva or from the frog.
Hi Geraldine,
Based on that description, it could be quite a number of things. If you don’t mind, could you upload a picture? We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a site we use that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
Hi
I recently noticed lots of small (about 2mm) long bugs, which are living in the puddles at then centre of water lily leaves. They appear to have black and silver/grey mottled backs.
I have a photo but not sure how to share this with you to help identify them.
Hi Mark,
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit confusing and complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
Hi Beckie
I posted an image, here is the link : https://postimg.cc/svcHk9fK
It shows the bugs, in the small puddle at the centre of a lily pad.
I hope its good enough for you to identify them
Hi Mark,
Thanks for getting back to me! I’ll be honest, I’m a bit stumped on this one. After quite a lot of digging, the closest thing I can come up with is possibly lily aphids. There are many different species, so their appearance can vary – the image is a bit blurry, but I think they match the size, body shape, and color description that you gave in your earlier comment. Do they seem to swim about, or do any damage to the water lilies? If the lilies that these bugs are found on are becoming damaged (yellowing or curling leaves, holes in leaves, stunted growth), then I’m confident that what you have are lily aphids.
We found a group of very very small insects the size of a needle point floating on the waters surface. The we’re moving around and are to small to identify.
Any ideas?
Hi Ralph,
Is there any chance that you can take a picture of them? Preferably as close to and focused on one or two of the insects as possible so I can see as much detail as possible. We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit confusing and complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
We have a small pond with a liner. We have always had Daphnia but this year there is something new. It’s several times larger than Daphnia, whitish in color and seem to be round. They are in all layers of the water. Any idea what they are?
Hi Terri,
Daphnia can range in size (some may be hardly visible, while others can be close to a centimeter in size), and their color is dependent on their diet. Daphnia that feed predominantly on bacteria tend to be white. If they look like Daphnia in everything but size and color, I would say that these are still Daphnia, just a different variety – there are over 200 species of them!
If they don’t look like the Daphnia at all, though, would you mind uploading a photo? I’ll be better able to help you out that way!
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload.
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit confusing and complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
I have these kind of ‘nail head’ looking larve in my water feature but I can’t figure oUt what they are, I have a video of them!
Hi Laura,
We don’t allow pictures or videos to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload.
If you’d like to upload your pictures there (I don’t believe it accepts videos), I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit confusing and complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
I have something that I can’t really describe except that it’s maybe 3″ – 2″ of which are the snorkel, it’s muscular and can be withdrawn but it rapidly popped back to the surface so the animal can breathe.
The body is about an inch long with a translucent skin that reveals what I imagine are intestines winding back and forth.
If I can get one out I’ll send a picture because this one is totally new on me in my part of the world but maybe it’s just something I’ve never encountered.
Hi Marc,
That sounds quite interesting! We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload.
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit confusing and complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
Kinda sounds like a rat tailed maggot
Would just love to know what the small (about 10 mm across) very white 4 winged flying insects were that amassed on our largest pond on the 17th July (SE of UK). They looked like 100’s of beautiful little white moths skimming the water (especially where there was floating slenderleaf pond weed) being eaten by House Martins till dusk. I looked for them the next day, but nothing. They weren’t mayflies or flying ants. I do have a photo of one of the bodies found in the pond the next day
Hi Alison,
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload.
If you’d like to upload your picture there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit confusing and complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
Hi, I put in a tiny (old washing up tub) in our garden a couple weeks ago and saw these little tailed creatures (like tiny tadpoles) today…would be great if tadpoles as we have had frogs in the garden but I’m worried it’s more like flies or midgies. I can post a pic to that sharing site mentioned in other posts.
Meant that to be tiny pond…here’s the link to see the little swimming critters I’m hoping to identify
https://postimg.cc/rK2gLDTS
Those are definitely mosquito larvae
We have LOTS of different kinds of bugs and creatures in our ponds. Great! But while cleaning out the overgrown algae, we discovered we also have plenty of Water Bugs (Giant water bugs??) and Whirligig Beetles in there. I didn’t know the Water Bugs could get so large or bite! My grandchildren play in/around the pond quite a bit. How can I get rid (or limit the number) of these “toe-biters” without harming the rest of the ecosystem?
Hi Judy,
Giant water bugs are, unfortunately, tough (literally, and in terms of getting rid of them)! The whirligig beetles are quite harmless, and actually beneficial as they will eat things that would otherwise build up in your pond, like dead insects, decaying plant matter, and some algae. Toe-biters tend to thrive in environments where they have plenty of places they can hide from and stalk prey items like other insects or fish. If your pond has a layer of leaves/sludge/detritus at the bottom, I recommend cleaning that out as best you can, as toe-biters love to hide and breed in those areas. Also manually skim your pond out daily with a net to remove any new leaves and debris, as well as any giant water bugs that are around. Though gradual, this method should over time get rid or all or most of them.
You can also purchase water traps for them online (there are specific giant water bug traps) – using those in conjunction with a small black light will draw them into the trap, which they shouldn’t be able to escape unless they’re quite small. If the infestation is quite bad, as a last resort you can remove all fish from your pond, as well as any plants that you want to save (making sure to quarantine the plants and observe them for any water bug eggs or young), and completely drain and clean the pond. Let it sit and dry out for several days, so that any toe-biters present will move out and any eggs should dry out and die. This should be a last resort, as you’d have to start the whole ecosystem from scratch again.
I hope that this helps, and best of luck!
Hi, i’ve made one of those ‘closed ecosystem in a jar’ things but theres this really weird looking bug thats in there but i have no idea what it may be and i was hoping you might. (i assumed you’d be the right person to ask)
its quite the weird looking creature ill tell you that!
– it has a long black pointy shell
– ive never seen its head
– it has weird legs/feeler like things that come out of the top of the shell
– it barely moves at all (seroiously)
– ive never seen it eat anything but its been resting on a plant all day and now that its later at night its moved up to the surface
hopefully this helps! ive been staring at it all day, its so peculiar
Hi Parker,
That sounds quite strange! I’m afraid that I’m not certain what it could be, but if you could get a picture of it that would help greatly!
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit confusing and complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
okay, i’m pretty sure i uploaded them but i’m not sure how you would see them. is there a way i can send you a link? or have i done everything i needed to?
Hi Parker,
Apologies for the delayed response!
You’ll have to copy the URL of the page where you uploaded the images and then paste it here so that I can follow the link to look at them.
https://postimg.cc/vgXmqkd8/f3d0f594
https://postimg.cc/dhdVPLKx/8ab7c507
https://postimg.cc/JDT1cXbG/bc2459a9
there we go!
i realize im wrong about how i described it so heres what you cant see in the photos (or maybe you can but just to clear things up)
– i HAVE seen its head now, its almost like a silver color
– the legs come out of the body on the inside of the shell thing
Hi Parker,
The images are a bit dark and blurry, but I’m trying my best to see what I can find! As far as you can tell, is it a solid shell encasing the insect, or does it look like it’s made up of bits of rock/substrate/dirt/etc.? If it’s the latter, it could be a larval caddisfly – they encase themselves in bits of whatever they can find to form a long, protective “shell” around themselves that tapers at the end, and as far as I can tell have legs and a head shape that’s similar to what’s shown in your photos. Specifically, it looks the most to me like it could be an American grannum, a species of caddisfly that creates a very dark shell that looks like a tapering chimney.
It it’s an actual true shell around it, it’s likely a species of copepod, which are very small freshwater crustaceans.
I wish I could give you a more exact answer! There are so many species of aquatic invertebrates that sometimes it’s difficult to narrow the possibilities down. If you’d like to explore some caddisfly species to see if they look like what you have in your closed ecosystem, this site is really user-friendly and useful! https://www.macroinvertebrates.org/taxa-characters/trichoptera-larva
You can also go to their main page and click on any of the other aquatic invertebrate groups, not just caddisflies.
If you happen to get any brighter, clearer photos, feel free to share those! Otherwise, I hope that this helps!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/A6EsoBXDKAqVWbJ29
Not sure how to upload a photo so I created a Google link. I found this weird insect swimming in my pond. I pulled it out of my pond and was curious to know if I should be concerned about my Koi.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qRsgBYGFy7Qp5GSK7
Here’s a video for hopefully helping identify this insect. I’ve googled so much and can’t find anything! Hopefully you all could help. Thanks
Hi Justin,
I’ll admit that I’m a bit stumped! I’ve spent about two hours doing online research and going through my field guide books and I can’t give you an exact species, unfortunately. The only aquatic insect that I’ve ever come across with such a round body shape are waterpennies, and this does not at all fit the bill of being a waterpenny aside from being round (those are brown, lack the long appendages on the backside of the creature you found, and do not have the interesting eye-like structures of the organism that you found). I’m rather convinced, though, that it is not actually an insect but instead a copepod based on its body shape/layout and movement patterns. Copepods are very small freshwater crustaceans, and are generally harmless. The harmful ones are usually water mites, water lice, and water fleas, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that it’s none of those. In fact, most copepods help feed on dead and decaying matter in your pond, and provide an alternate food source for any hungry fish. I’m not an expert on crustaceans by any means, but if I’m right then this little guy and any of its buddies are likely just a healthy part of your pond ecosystem.
Keep an eyeball out, and certainly let us know if you find any other critters or if these ones change size/appearance over time!
In the future, if you wouldn’t mind using postimage.org to upload pictures, that works best for us! It’s secure and private, and reduces the likelihood of spam on both ends (so you and us are safer). We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site or utilize other image sharing sites for security reasons.
If you’d like to upload any future pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit confusing and complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
I live in Charlotte NC, and have a rather large fountain. The main bowl is five feet across. A few days ago, I was checking water level and saw a bug skate across the bottom of the bowl. Today, I saw three. They move incredibly fast and I can’t begin to describe them. Maybe the size of a dime, maybe smaller. Can’t say I’ve seen the legs, as I said they move fast. They don’t seem to get sucked into the pump, they hide in the same “room” the pump sits in. I know it’s very little information to ask for help identifying, but suggestions are welcome
Hi Kim,
I wish I could help you out more but there are a number of things that could fit that description :/ Do you know what their approximate body shape is? If you manage to get another look and can count the legs and make note if they have tails or not, that would also help. It sounds like they could possibly be water boatmen or backswimmers, as these are usually found underwater rather than at the surface, can move fast, and are pretty good at not getting caught by pump skimmers or nets. If they happen to slow down enough to allow this, you could snap a picture and upload it to postimage.org as we don’t allow pictures to be posted directly to the site for security reasons.
If you’d like to upload any pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response! I know it might be a bit complicated – we’re looking into potential alternatives for image uploading in the future, but for now this is the safest option.
Hello
If love to know what this beetle is please. Its really large (maybe 3-4cm body length) and several living in our pond.
Link here: https://i.postimg.cc/t4LqHgYV/20200927-144951.jpg
Hi Liz,
I am not 100% positive, but that looks like a species of water scavenger beetle to me! Depending on the species, they can grow up to 2 inches in length, so both the size and general appearance lead me to believe that’s what it is. They mostly feed on algae and decaying plant matter and waste, so aren’t harmful.
Hi,
I was at a small swampy pond, that was covered in Duck weed, the other day colleting water for a school project, and I was putting, the collected water, into jars. I noticed that there were small Roly-poly like bugs swimming around in it. The closest description that I can make of it is an Isopod. It’s body shape was very similar to that and it had “harry” legs, that it used to swim with. It had a greyish brown color and it’s size ranged from about 1mm to 3mm, at least the ones that I saw. I have no idea what this is and can’t find anything like anywhere. What is this?
Hi Lucas,
Apologies for the late reply! I believe what you’re describing is actually an aquatic isopod, also known as aquatic pillbugs. There are many species of these and, you’re right, they do look quite a lot like terrestrial roly poly beetles!
Here is a link for you to check out to see if this is actually what you caught: https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/aquatic-pillbugs-and-sowbugs-aquatic-isopods
Can I send you a pic of some small cone shaped larvae I am finding all along my filter and tubing
Hi Jim,
Sorry about the delayed reply!
We don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
Provides free image upload and hosting integration for forums. Free picture hosting and photo sharing for websites and blogs.
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then I’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
Yesterday, we saw these eel looking things in the pond.. about 10 cm in length and greenish grey with orange stripes and dots. My daughter guessed bull frog larvae. Any ideas? We are from southern Ontario.
I was swimming in a lake in Northern England yesterday, and the water was full of tiny specs of what felt like sand or dirt as I swam. Upon closer inspection they looked like tiny eggs – black dots encased in a clear sac. Do you know what this could be?
Hi Alice,
Apologies for such a late reply! Those are very likely frog eggs!
I found hundreds of small black round squishy things in my plant shelf around rocks and on the base of a couple of water plants in my fish pond. They are like a jelly substance and when you squeeze them they have a mucous inside. Range from about 1/4″ to almost 1/2″. They do not seem to be attached but sitting either on bottom or clumped around pebbles or rocks in shallow water. Any idea? Larva? algae?
Hi, can you help me. When ever water is left outside, we end up with what looks like miniature brown trout. Theyre about 2-3 millimetres, with a head and a fish body. Theyre extremely active aswell. Ive now found them in my grandsons sand/water bowl, which is covered. Any ideas please?
i have these little tiny bugs and they might be water bugs but they usually stay together and they have silver shells and they swim around in circles when they are on the surface but i found them in clumps of algae in the pond in my front yard.
Hi Parker,
Apologies for the late reply! Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to say without seeing them. Do you happen to have any pictures? If so, we don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then we’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
Hi in July this year we made a half barrel pond and it is now teeming with squiggly larvae. They look like mosquito larvae, some with a split tail …I’m keen to know what these are in case they hatch into biting creatures. As we don’t have mosquitos locally I’m wondering what they are.They are black, very active and various sizes up to about .75cm. There are also loads of small dead flies on the surface, which look like gnats or similar. Can you help? Thank you.
Hi Jane,
Do they look like these, I got dozens of them in my turtle aquarium this morning and i am freaking out what they are!
https://postimg.cc/RWdbxT8k
Hi Irfan,
The image is a bit blurry, but looks like it could be caddisfly, dragonfly, or other similar larvae! All of these are quite harmless to you and your turtles and beneficial to have around (though I can understand why you might not want them in an aquarium!). Do you have any other pictures?
i found this fish looking thing in my pool just laying there so i scooped it out (not with my hands!) and it seems to look like it has gills underneath and the top is slimy and it’s greenish brownish and the underneath with the gills is like a beige color. It doesn’t have any sort of legs or arms and it seems to be dead already. It doesn’t look like to even have eyes either.. any idea on what it could be?
Hi Isabella,
Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to say without seeing it. Do you happen to have any pictures? If so, we don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then we’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
Hi, I had a container with a large amount of decaying plants in it, and after a large amount of rain, I came back to find a large amount of tiny white long creatures. There were also a few creatures that looked to be the same thing but Much bigger. The large ones (3-4 cm) were roughly cylindrical with rounded ends, and kind of a long tail at the end.
Any idea what it is?
Thanks!
Hi Reuben,
Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to say without seeing them. Do you happen to have any pictures? If so, we don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
If you’d like to upload your pictures there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then we’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
It’s very low quality, but https://postimg.cc/mcyTkpTJ . If you want me to take a better quality photo, I can try.
I’m not sure if you’ll know what it is, but I’m simply very curious. 🙂
Thank you,
Reuben
Hi Reuben,
Thanks for uploading that! It is, unfortunately, quite hard to tell from the photo. It could be a species of leech or aquatic worm, but I’m not confident in those answers. If you’re able to get a better image, go for it! Now I’m curious as well, ha.
I did more research, and I’m pretty sure they are rat-tailed maggots?
Tell me if they definitely aren’t, but that was what they looked most like.
Reuben
Found in my fish pond in Adelaide sth aust what appeared to be a tail the size of my little finger curled up in a tight curl with a red cut off end . When I pulled it from the water it’s red end came out of the curled tail.. looked like big red lips .do you have any idea whatever it could be.
Hi, i saw a new type of water bug but im not sure if it has already been discovered. It was a metal-like grey colour and looked like a short version of a centerpied with only a few legs and 2 antennas. Its about as small as the tip of a pencil.
Hi Helo,
Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to say without seeing it. Do you happen to have any pictures? If so, we don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
If you’d like to upload your picture(s) there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then we’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
Lovely article! Still can’t figure out what’s in my sealed ecosystem though. It’s quite tiny, barely bigger than a needle point, a very round creature with black and white lines down it’s back. Any ideas?
Hi Maddy,
Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to say without seeing it. Do you happen to have any pictures? If so, we don’t allow pictures to be posted on the site for security reasons, but I’ll link you to a different site we use for images that’s secure and private: Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload
If you’d like to upload your picture(s) there, I can take a look and let you know what I think it could be! After you upload the image(s), you’ll have to also leave a comment here with a link to the image you just uploaded so that I can find it. Then we’ll take a gander and comment back here with a response!
Hi! I uploaded a photo at:
https://i.postimg.cc/LXbn2jq0/20220511-135243.jpg
We found this in a stream, not a pond, but I’ve never seen anything like it and thought maybe you could help! Thanks in advance,I appreciate your site! So interesting 🦗🕷🪳🪰🦟🦂
What is this? They almost hang upside down still and then fold up and wiggle to move.
https://postimg.cc/DmZmhB3X
I have pictures of a bug I need identified. Is there a way for me to send them? I am also waiting for a call back from OSU ag department. I put the bug into a container, but I’m worried it’ll die. The bug has 7 long antenna surrounding it’s body & 2 short legs. It’s very weird. My brother-in-law owns his own pesticide business and has never seen this bug before…that’s why I called OSU.
Can muck on the bottom of my small pond (15ftx15ftx3ft deep) cause the disappearance of my water bugs. I have noticed my water striders are gond and lately my boatmen and backswimmers are also gone. The pond is about 5 years old with a circulating waterfalls but no filters. I do get mudslides in the winter which has added lots of mud on the bottom throughout the years.
I do have some small frogs, dragonflies and newts. but I do think the newts maybe eating lots of my tadpoles as I don’t have as many of them either and the newt population has grown. Should I try the products that get rid of muck?
Hi, I recently found a larvae looking creature in a creek in PA. It was dark in color and appeared slimy like a worm. It had legs and a tail that was sticking up and was moving. I have never seen anything like it before and have not seen anything online. The best way i can describe it is some sort of insect that resembled a lizard. The tail was short and not very skinny.
This site is really wonderful. Thank you for all the work you’ve put into sharing this incredible information.
I’ll be using some of this for an upcoming Joey (6-8 years old ) Scout night as our Scout Hall is located in parkland that has several ponds and a creek running through it.
Just a thought for your site: How about a printable identification sheet with pictures and a little detail about some of the most common life you would me most likely to encounter in a pond? That way it could be taken out into the wild and used as a “live” resource. The kids would absolutely love it. Just a bucket, magnifying glass and the info sheet. What a great time they’d have! I’ll be making one up for the Joeys’ night.
Many thanks once again, and keep up the good work.
hey man, would be glad if you helped, I saw a mini ecosystem in a bucket it has algae (spirogyra probably) and few weeks later I saw some bugs there they have a brown coloured back and black eyed with 2 small antenna in front and have 4 to 5 pairs of legs, they don’t come above the surface of water ever and feed on algae. I don’t see any big like that resembling from the list, would be glad if anyone helped. Thanks for helping!
I’ve been researching this for a long time and found no answer online. You could be my last hope.
I have a pond with goldfish in my backyard. And there are very small bugs in the pond running on top of the water. There are a lot; I’d guess 50 or so.
Here’s a photo:
https://i.postimg.cc/266FPBbN/Screen-Shot-2023-05-26-at-1-22-36-PM.png
I’d be forever grateful if you could help me to find out what bugs those are so I can find out how to get rid of them.
Hi,
or the first time this summer I have seen clumps of what look like fly eggs laid in the inside of my water-butts, just at/above the water level
What might these be. They are white/light cream in colour and not in “rafts” like mosquito eggs.
Things which look like hoverflies frequent the areas but I am not aware af any varieties being semi-equatic.
This piece offers a valuable introduction to the role of aquatic insects in assessing the health of pond ecosystems. It effectively conveys the importance of these insects as ecological indicators. The practical examples, like dragonflies being sensitive to pollution and leeches/mosquitoes indicating pollution tolerance, provide a tangible understanding for the reader. This content is both educational and thought-provoking, encouraging readers to consider the health of their own pond environments. It’s a concise but insightful read that leaves you with a newfound appreciation for the interconnectedness of nature and the clues it provides about water quality.
Thanks for commenting! Glad you rate the article so highly and that you found it helpful.