Water Snail Class Gastropoda Water snails are molluscs. They have small horny teeth that they use to feed on water plants and algae by scaping it off hard surfaces such as rocks and logs. They have a coiled shell and grow up to 2 centimetres in length. These snails breathe air and fill their lungs with oxygen when they come to the surface of the water. They lay their jelly-like eggs in groups on rocks or the leaves of water plants. Water snails are hermaphrodites. That means that they are neither boys or girls and can fertilise their own eggs! Damselfly Order Odonta Suborder Zygoptera Damselflies look similar to dragonflies except they are smaller and have more slender bodies. Their larvae are aquatic and have three gills at the end of their bodies that look like tails. Their large eyes help them to find and catch other water animals hiding between water plants and in leaf litter. Adult damselflies mainly eat flying insects that they catch near the surface of the water. More then 80 per cent of a damselfly s brain is used to make sense of things that it sees through its eyes!
Dragonfly Oder Odonta Suborder Anispotera Dragonfly larvae are sometimes called mudeyes. They live on the bottom of freshwater ponds and creeks, feeding on other water animals that they catch by shooting out their lower lip and dragging them in. When the larvae are ready to turn into an adult dragonfly, they climb up a water plant and shed their skin before flying off. Dragonflies have been found as fossils more than 300 million years old. Adult dragonflies can fly at up to 50 km per hour. They dart around above the water to catch flying insects. Stonefly Order Plecoptera Stonefly larvae live on the bottom of freshwater streams and ponds and can often be found resting on stones of fast-flowing streams. The larvae are streamlined and have claws on the ends of their feet so they don t get swept away. Most stonefly nymphs feed on algae and dead plants while a few are predators and feed on other water animals. Many adult stoneflies only live for a few days and some don t even eat before they die! Female stoneflies live longer than males.
Backswimmer Order Hemiptera Family Notonectidae Backwimmers are predators, feeding on smaller water bugs such as bloodworms and insect larvae as well as insects resting on the surface of the water. They breathe under water by storing a bubble of air on the underside of their body. If their watery home becomes polluted or dries up, backswimmers can fly to another pond or river. Backswimmers get their name from their habit of swimming upside down at the surface of the water. Be careful because they can give you a nasty nip! Water Boatman Order Hemiptera Family Corixidae Water boatmen live amongst vegetation in ponds and slow-flowing streams. These bugs look similar to backswimmers except they swim upright and prefer to feed at the bottom of their habitat. They have sucking mouthparts and feed on insects as well as dead plants and animals in mud and leaf litter. Water boatmen move through the water using swimming hairs on their middle and back legs. While resting, water boatmen cling to objects in the water such as rocks and logs. Some even hitch a ride on live fish!
Water Tiger Order Coleoptera Family Dytiscidae Water tigers are the larvae of diving beetles that live on the edges of streams and ponds. They have a snorkel on the end of their bodies that they stick out of the water to breathe. Adult diving beetles breathe by storing air under their wings. Water tigers feed on other aquatic animals by injecting digestive fluids into their prey and sucking out the liquefied insides! Adults also eat water animals and will even catch tadpoles and small fish. Water tigers begin life as eggs which the female beetles deposit in the stems of water plants. Adult diving beetles fly from one water source to another by looking for light reflected off the surface by the moon. Sometimes they get confused and fly into street lights or the headlights of cars! Bloodworm Order Diptera Family Chironomidae Bloodworms live in sludge on the bottom of ponds and streams. They can survive in water that is low in oxygen and are very tolerant of pollution. They generally feed on dead plants and animals while a few eat only plants. Most bloodworms are free-living while some live in silken tubes in the mud. Bloodworms are red in colour because they contain a substance called haemoglobin. This is a blood protein that carries oxygen.
Caddis Fly Order Tricoptera The aquatic larvae of these flies enclose themselves in cases of sand grains, twigs or pebbles sown together with silken thread. Others hide in hollow stems of reeds and sedges while a few are free-swimming. Most caddis fly larvae are found living on the bottom of flowing creeks and rivers where they can collect bits of algae and other plant material to eat. The adult flies have wings and live on land, usually near the water. Some caddis fly larvae in urban areas choose to build their homes out of man-made structures such as drink straws, pen lids and even lolly wrappers! Mayfly Order Epmeroptera Like damselflies, mayfly nymphs have three filaments, like tails on the end of their bodies. They live under rocks and amongst plants in rivers and creeks and feed on live or decaying plant matter. The larvae breathe underwater using gills and can take up to two years to become adults. Adult mayflies have two pairs of see-through wings and mate while flying. Flat Worm Class Turbellaria Adult mayflies live for no longer than 24 hours! They don t feed at all and mate as soon as they emerge from the water. These flattened worms are common in freshwater ponds and streams and have a triangular-shaped head. They slide along the bottom of their habitat, preying on other invertebrates and scavenging on dead animals. Some are parasites and feed off larger animals. As well as reproducing normally, flatworms can split themselves in two, creating a new worm! This is called asexual reproduction. Flatworms don t have bottoms so they get rid of waste through their mouths!