What is this insect?

[t-tony]

Anyone know what this is/was?

Shirl just evicted it from her pool. It could swim well inc. underwater. Not so well now its flat.

Tony.

 

[ExMX5owner]

Looks like a water boatman Tony..

 

[t-tony]

No it's not I don't think. It's too big, well compared to the ones in my fish pond that is.

Tony.

 

[Duncodin]

Yes. It does look like a big one - although it's difficlt to tell how big it is in the picture.

But those long arms, like oars, are the giveaway.

There's another water bug that skates over the top of the water looks a bit like a small daddy longlegs. Many people call that a boatman - but it's not. The proper boatman has those long oars.

Looks like the common backswimmer (They really do swim on their backs). Not one of the very similar looking brain eating murder bugs.

 

[ExMX5owner]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesperocorixa They come in a few flavours.. See also Cymatia
All loosely described as water boatman, we have them here in Australia but ours are about half a meter long and will bite your foot off.

 

[AleNod]

 

[t-tony]

They sure are ugly critters.

Tony.

 

[Duncodin]

They sure are ugly critters.

Tony.

Aw. Don't be mean. He'd be offended - if you hadn't stood on him.

 

[Duncodin]

And next time your water feature is full of mozzie larvae or your bbq guests are being eaten by mozzies just think of what you did to the friendly critter whos job it was, in this world, to control mozzie populations.

 

[motco]

I thought for a horrible moment that it might be a cockchafer!