ID please

[turkeyneck]

Been watching several of these critters in my local pond eating the tadpoles which I assume are newts (seeing as they're very small compared to other tadpoles in there, I s'pose that's another question altogether really).
Could someone tell me what this beast is and if possible how to tell the difference between a newt tadpole and a frog/toad? If newt eggs are attached within a gelatinous packet on the side of reeds (which I've seen loads) then am I correct in assuming these are newt eggs and hence newt tadpoles?

[Paul mabbott]

Certainly one of the water beetle nymphs.... and a splendid specimen.
If you want to save some of your poles put them into a separate container until they grow up.
I think you're on the right lines deducing from the egg deposition - I'm sure you'll get other advice on them.

[Kayleigh]

I couldn't see the pics but found them in the archive and thought they were fascinating so I posted them here. Hope you don't mind.

[turkeyneck]

Thanks Kayleigh for putting them on the bottom of my post, that's exactly what I was trying to do but darned if I could do it?
Just need to get the name of the 'thing'.
By the way I woudn't have liked to have been in that pond with one of those let alone the loads I saw, you don't stand much of a chance once ones got hold of you.

[galanthus]

I'd go for great diving beetle larvae as per link,

Great Diving Beetle

Very ferocious carnivores of the pond, by very interesting

[turkeyneck]

Hi there, thanks galanthus,
spot on, my pics better though (I'd like to think) :-)
Just out of interest whan I first saw one of these I grabbed a long branch and tried to hook one out of the water, the damned thing grabbed hold of the end and nearly pulled me in.

[Kayleigh]

Glad you got the images sorted..

I have seen one of these in my pond, I thought at the time it was a dragonfly nymph.

Just found this bit of info that you might find helpful turkeyneck..

A female newt lays about 300 eggs, so the egg-laying process takes her many hours. Newt tadpoles look like tiny dragons with feathery gills. They develop front legs about two weeks after hatching, and the hind legs grow soon after. They feed on tiny water creatures such as water fleas and worms, and even prey on smaller newt tadpoles. At the end of the summer the fully formed, tiny newts leave the water to live on the land. When they are two years old, they return to the water to breed. Only about six out of every 300 will manage to reach maturity - most of them fall prey to predators such as grass snakes, rats, blackbirds and hedgehogs.

[turkeyneck]

Quote 'Only about six out of every 300 will manage to reach maturity - most of them fall prey to predators such as grass snakes, rats, blackbirds and hedgehogs.'

AND
Great Diving Beatles!

thanks Kayleigh, interesting stuff eh, thank goodness I'm not a newt..........yet.
Right I'm off to go and record some moths for Carmarthenshire :-)

[Dogghound]

Yes its the larva of the Great Diving beetle, not many other things it can be mixed up with in the UK although some similar ones in europe. A larger beetle larva in the UK is that of the Great Silver beetle another water beetle.

[cmullen]

I'm pretty sure two of those are caddis fly larvae. They look rather large though, but not sure of the scale. One looks like a hydropsyche caddis.