[va-richmond-general] Re: strange water creature
- From: "Carol Heiser" <cheiser@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 13:27:25 -0400
Michael (and others)--in case you're still trying to figure out what
this critter is, there is a key to aquatic macroinvertebrates on a web
site of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation:
www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dow/stream/index.htm
Good luck!
Carol Heiser
Va. Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries
Richmond, VA
>>> sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 08/12/02 07:09AM >>>
I know this isn't a bird sighting, but I don't know who else to ask
this, it's so odd. Perhaps some of you that fish regularly might know
what this is.
We were canoeing on our lake at camp Friday when we came across
these two, slug/caterpillar-like creatures on the surface of the water.
They were about 2 - 3 inches long, black and white striped, and
propelled themselves across the surface of the water sort of like a worm
- by stretching out/elongating their body from the middle to the front(?
I'm not sure I could tell where the head was), then having their other
half catch up by making their bodies thicker again. They appeared to
have three "prongs" on the end of their bodies, which they used to grab
on to sticks or lily pad stems floating on the surface.
My first thought was either caterpillars or dragonfly or mosquito
larvae. However, they had no legs and swam on the surface, not under
water. Even when they were attached to something, they were still on the
surface. They seemed to be at home in the water, so it's unlikely they
were caterpillars, and mosquito larvae don't float on the surface and
aren't that large. All the pictures I saw of dragonfly larvae showed
that they have legs. As I said, these creatures did not. Any thoughts at
all? Anyone know someone I can ask? One of the kids held it and said it
tried to bite her.
Michael Shapiro
Henrico
sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the
Subject field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please
visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general.
You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject
field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit,
//www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general.
Other related posts:
