Water Skater eating?

[rscott74]

I believe this insect is a skater - I'm no expert. It was seen today on a small stream in Rainton Meadows. Has it captured something and is consuming it?

[Dillybythesea]

Interesting shot! Looks to me like a pond skater involved with a water boatman, in which case you might have to wonder who is consuming whom?!

[rscott74]

Dillybythesea, I can see what you mean. The waterboatman looks a strange colour. If it's upside down perhaps it's losing the battle. I hope a pondlife expert might elaborate.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Hard to work out whats going on. The water boatman is very white, perhaps having just shead its skin and the pond skater is hanging on to the rear end. Looks like its a lesser water boatman which are not predatory anyway so if anyone is eating who the pond skater is eating the water boatman, which it would have caught as it came up for air or was just below the surface.

Another possiblity is it is the shed skin of a water boatman and the pond skater is just hanging on to it, as these surface dweller bugs seem to like standing on or by other floating objects.

[Dillybythesea]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Another possiblity is it is the shed skin of a water boatman and the pond skater is just hanging on to it, as these surface dweller bugs seem to like standing on or by other floating objects.

Now that's a very neat theory and sounds just right. (And much less violent too!)

[King Edward]

Alternatively, could it be some kind of planthopper that the pond skater is eating? I can't really see a lesser water boatman getting caught by a pond skater.

[rscott74]

Thanks a lot for further responses. My recollection is that the skater was resting so I'll go with the shed skin proposition. One of the joys of my new camera is the unnoticed detail that images reveal. To be frank I believed I was only taking a picture of a skater at rest!