Water Boatman

[colincurry]

Took this from a footbridge over a ditch joining the River Great Ouse. Just like it as an illustration of its capability to move on top of the water. Had given up trying to snap a dragonfly in flight and settled for something more pedestrian



Colin

[galanthus]

Lovely pic col, tho it is in fact a pond skater type thing rather than water boatman

[colincurry]

I correctly identified it in Chinery, but picked the wrong square on the diagram

I believe it to be a Water Measurer. I think we have always referred to them as Water Boatmen - right from being children - just goes to show.

Thanks

Colin

[Dogghound]

Its a pond skater Gerris sp looks very good for G.lacustris. The water measurer and water boatman are both in different sub-families to this, although they are all true bugs.

[colincurry]

My copy of Chinery shows two conjugal pond skaters and is not good for ID. Hence the picture below of the water measurer looking more like my beast than the skater in the book.

Thanks for your help.

Colin

[Harry Eales]

Originally Posted by colincurry

My copy of Chinery shows two conjugal pond skaters and is not good for ID. Hence the picture below of the water measurer looking more like my beast than the skater in the book.

Thanks for your help.

Colin

Colin,

Chinery is nothing more than a rough guide to identify species to an Order, nothing more. It is definately not suitable for identifying insects down to species level, unless your very lucky. It's only a rough guide, with the emphasis on ROUGH.

There are over 22,000 species of British Insects, how many does Chinery illustrate? just a very small percentage of them.

Insects are a very large group of species and specialist books are required for each order, no 'General' interest book covers them all.

In another insect Forum I am occasionally known as, 'Chuck out your Chinery'

Chinery's books should never be considered as good identification guides as to individual species of any insect order.

Harry

[Wild-Woman]

Chinery's guides are good for a starting point, particularly if you're just getting into insects. Once interest is stimulated in a group of insects, then graduate to specialist books (which are usually fairly expensive because of the research that's gone into them) which key the group in better detail. I always find, whatever book it is, that there's something else I'd like to know that it doesn't cover and so end up getting another. Hence my large collection of books!

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by colincurry

I correctly identified it in Chinery, but picked the wrong square on the diagram

I believe it to be a Water Measurer. I think we have always referred to them as Water Boatmen - right from being children - just goes to show.

Thanks

Colin

I think they are refered to as water boatmen 'correctly' by some people, just depends what you were told when you were young - Ive always called the pond skaters though, and thats usually the one published so I stick with it. Just goes to show the problem with common names in that often they can refer to more than one animal.

[Dutchess]

That is a Pond Skater. I have kept a pond in my garden since I was a child and know them of old...

Pond Skaters do as their name suggests, they rest delicately on the surface of the water, darting gently across it to grab an unfortunate insect that may have stumbled in.

It's a common mistake to refer to these creatures as Water Boatmen, but that is not very fair deal on the Pond Skater's behalf. Water Boatmen are not welcome in many garden ponds as they are fierce predators, even taking small fish and tadpoles. Water Boatmen are quite different in their mobility to Pond Skaters as they swim upside down just under the water surface, using their legs as "oars".

hth

D.

[welsh.lensman]

This is a photo of a water boatman taken last Spring.
.

[welsh.lensman]

I think what your are discribing Dutchess is the common Backswimmer which looks like this.

[Dutchess]

Seems like the jury's out on that one WL! Not only is there mistaken identity with the Pond Skater, but some seem to interchange the name Water Boatman with Back Swimmer....and so the plot thickens!

As I understand it, the Greater Water Boatman swims on it's back and is carnivorous, as opposed to the Lesser Water Boatman which swims the right way up and is veggie.

There was a similar discussion here last year:

greater water boatmen

Best,

D.

[naturegirl]

I occasionally get water boatmen and Twizzel beetles in my moth trap, more since I have moved here last August which is strange as I am less nearer to water than I was before?

I just put them in my water feature which has some shade and they generally move the next day.

Water boatmen are deffinately carniverous!

Naturegirl

[colincurry]

Good morning and thank you all.

I think it will be simpler to post all my insects as unidentified and pension off my Chinery - I already have enough books without specialising further insectwise!

Yet another example of WAB experrtise and helpfulness.

Colin

[Adam Cheeseman]

The Greater Water Boatman is also colloquially known as the Backswimmer - 'cos it swims on its back.

All 19(?) species of Lesser Water Boatman swim on their front.

Cheers,

Adam