Creature from the deep (pond)

[Adam Cheeseman]

Hi all,

Anyone know what the blue blazes this fella is. Dragged it kicking and screaming out of a pond. It's roughly 2 inches long. I assume it's a larva of some sort.

Cheers,

Adam

[naturelover]

dont i have a deep pond if you call 4 to 5feet deep that is,hope i havnt got any of them down there,never seen anything like it befor perhaps its a knew species.

[GuyF]

I guess it's a beetle larvae of some sort? Whereabouts was it caught, I'm wondering whether it might be a Great Silver Beetle larvae.
It's looks very interesting.
Guy

[Gill Catton]

awww flip I had one of these last year what was it!!???
(off to look in book) I think it might have been a soldierfly larva you know.....

try a google image search on this:
stratiomys larva

[Ukwildlifeo]

looking in my collins freshwater life I cant see anthing 2inches long although i seem to remember reading a review on the book saying its limited withy dipterian larvae. I seems closet to the cranefly and horsefly larvae to me

[The Woodman]

I've had a scout through Collins as well. Definately 2"? The illustrations of the beetle larvae on
pp 293/4, Esolus and Oulimnius look similar but they are 2 mm.

[Wild-Woman]

Perhaps a Horse fly or Cleg larva?

[Gill Catton]

honestly do the google search and look at the fifth and sixth image looks good to me - obviously I can't link it directly

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

honestly do the google search and look at the fifth and sixth image looks good to me - obviously I can't link it directly

certainly does look like it. Must be one of the stratiomys larva or something closely related

[Dogghound]

I would say a dipteran Larvae, maybe Tipulidae but far more likely Stratiomyidae, Potentially could be S.potamida which has a larvae of a similar size, which lives in the mud usually around ponds but sometimes in them. Have you seen adults around of any species?