overboard

For the last four weeks, I have had an uninvited guest in one of my tanks. It is very camera-shy, but here is a description: fuzzy black, the size and shape of a honeybee, triangular face with big black eyes, stubs where wings "should" be, three pair of clear legs, kind of like a grasshopper's. It sits on plants or clings to stems within and inch or two of the bottom, and I have never seen it do anything like eat, but it moves slowly and frequently. It stays under cover, and I have never seen it go to the top. I have big rosy barbs in there, and I don't know why they haven't attacked it. They kill every pond snail I put in, they devoured big ghost shrimp, and even tried to eat the otos I added (about a month ago, come to think of it.) Maybe the barbs that survived the oto incident learned not to attack strange creatures. Anyone have any idea what this is, and if I will be sorry if I let it live in there?

jmontee

Does it look something like the link below. It sounds like a dragonfly nymph and I would definitely take it out. These things can eat all kinds of stuff and you wouldn't even notice it. It could have eaten anything that you are missing.

http://www.bugsurvey.nsw.gov.au/html...-ny-b_line.gif

http://www.bugsurvey.nsw.gov.au/html...l_dr-ny-a.html

overboard

That's it exactly, in black. It will be a tough catch; maybe I can tweeze it. My son would freak out if there was a dragonfly in the house... thank you for the info!

aquabillpers

Dragonfly larvae (and those of the smaller damsel fly) will eat anything that they can catch, but the adults don't bother anything larger than mosquitoes.

They are short-lived, living as adults for just a few months.

There are many species, some quite beautiful.

Bill