Weird fly ID please

[Kayleigh]

This was by my pond I think there are two of them mating..
Either that or it has two heads...





Thanks Elaine

[Jonners]

I think it's a pond strider - similar to a pond skater but a bit longer.

[Kayleigh]

Thank you Jonners

[ron1863]

Try this link Elaine:

Water Strider

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by ron1863

Try this link Elaine:

Water Strider

Can't Ron haven't got the relevant plug-in Im on Linux some links don't work..

Thanks anyway..

[Kayleigh]

The poor thing wont be striding or skating on my pond as it full of plants and duck weed..
Cant touch it either now till Nov when the newts have finished breeding and the young have dispersed..

[Jonners]

Looks like he's keeping busy anyway, . They'll wait for some unsuspecting insect to struggle on the pond surface and nip over and grab him, before sucking all his juices out

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Jonners

Looks like he's keeping busy anyway, . They'll wait for some unsuspecting insect to struggle on the pond surface and nip over and grab him, before sucking all his juices out

Nice.....till something like a frog or newt fancies a snack..

[JRsbugs]

This is a mating pair of the Water Measurer Hydrometra stagnorum. I have seen one only once two years ago, took me some time to find out what it was! You were very lucky to get a pair!

Janet

[Jason Green]

Nice work with the new lens, Elaine!

Yep, Hydrometra stagnorum - a pond strider also known as a pond measurer. The link Ron posted calls it a strider but the video loads it as Waterskt, obviously as in Skater. See, that's why I find Latin more reliable!

See Water measurer - Hydrometra stagnorum - Natural England

It's one I'd like to see...