[va-richmond-general] Re: strange water creature
- From: "Michael Shapiro" <sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Carol Heiser" <cheiser@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,"Richmond listserv" <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 21:47:46 -0400
I checked out the website and the closest I could come was either a member of
the diptera/fly family or some sort of aquatic worm. There were no legs on the
creature. Length was nearly 2 inches. It was tubular in shape, rather than
flat. I have sent them an e-mail giving a description of the creature. I will
let you know when they respond. Thanks for the site.
Michael Shapiro
Henrico
sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: Carol Heiser
To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; sc.tanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 1:27 PM
Subject: Re: [va-richmond-general] strange water creature
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
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