Peatland wildlife
Water Bugs
A wide variety of groups and species of water bugs live in
peatland pools. Some of the most common species include:
| Pond skater |
 |
Pond skater
Pond skaters are slender bugs up to 17mm long. They skate on
the surface of still or slow moving water using their long middle
legs. The surface film acts like an elastic skin because of
the force of attraction between the water molecules. Water repellent
hairs on the feet prevent them from falling through this surface
film. Also their long legs help to spread their weight over
a large area. Small bristles at the tip of each leg dimple the
surface of the water and stop the leg breaking through.
Pond skaters feed on small flying insects that land on the
surface of the water. Using their short front legs they seize
their prey then pierce it with their sharp mouth-parts.
Pond skaters lay their eggs on plant stems and leaves in March
and April. The young look like the adults and moult five times
before reaching adult size.
| Water boatman |
 |
Water boatman
Water boatmen are usually light in colour and up to 16mm long.
They use their long hairy hind legs as paddles to swim under
water on their backs, hence the fact that they are also known
as backswimmers.
They are voracious predators, feeding on a range of small animals.
They lie in wait beneath the water surface, sensitive to any
disturbance, and pounce on insect larvae, tadpoles and small
fish. The toxic saliva they produce enables them to give a very
painful bite. They lay their eggs on plant stems and leaves
and the young moult five times before emerging as adults.
| Water scorpion |
 |
Water scorpion
Despite the intimidating name water scorpions are bugs rather
than scorpions. They are in fact harmless to humans and usually
act dead when handled or threatened. Their usual habitat is
shallow, muddy pools where they creep slowly over the bottom,
grabbing other small animals with their forelegs. The leaf-like
shape and brown colour make this creature fairly inconspicuous
in their chosen environment.
Water scorpions have wings but cannot fly as the wing muscles
are poorly developed. The long 'tail' is actually a breathing
tube that they use like a snorkel to draw air from the surface.
