There is more activity around the pond then you might think.

Lets begin with the Pondskater or Waterstrider as they are called.

They can walk on water by using the surface tension.

This one is just a baby, very tiny and hard to see from more than one foot away.

When the “Queen to be” ants are flying out to find a mate, some will land in the water where they will be eaten by the Pondskaters.

A real hunter:

The Backswimmer or water boatman.

This insect swims upside-down, propelled by two long legs which paddle like oars, making it look like a rowing boat.

Water boatmen rest on the surface of the water sensing vibrations. If there is something disturbing the water they will immediately dive to investigate. When the boatmen are within one or two inches of their prey they can begin to track it using their eyesight. They kill the prey by jabbing it with its rostrum (feeding tube) and injecting its toxic saliva.

Water boatmen are very effective predators and can catch and eat tadpoles, small fish and even the fearsome larvae of the diving beetle (Dytiscus marginalis). They will also eat airborne insects that have accidentally fallen onto the surface of the water. Adults can fly and will move between different ponds.

Source: BBC

They eat the insects that fall in the water.

The needle like beak is used to suck the body fluids.

An adult Pondskater.

A short video of a backswimmer, tiny pondskater and a salamander trying to eat a woodlouse

The Lesser water boatman.

Although he looks like a Water Boatman is not a hunter at all, he feeds on algae and doesn't swim up side down.

The tiny larvae of a

Phantom Midge

Real size is just a few mm.

The Damselfly larvae is living under water for one or two years, hunting small insects.

When the time is right he will climb out of the water to begin his transformation.

I found this larvae crawling around in my pond and I knew it would climb out to transform, just had that feeling.

So I followed him/her for one hour.

It was difficult to shoot sometimes because of the uncomfortable position.

And even more pictures of the Pondskater.

This time I took some to a small aquarium where I could photograph them from different angles and had more control over the background and lighting.

Shot from beneath the surface through the bottom of the aquarium.

His needle like beak, thank God they are so small.

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