Good bugs, bad bugs

First, the good bugs:

The water striders were among the first occupants of the frog pond. They are predators of almost any smaller insect on or near the surface; once they arrived on the pond I stopped seeing female mosquitoes on the surface and the larvae seem have disappeared completely now.

Family Gerridae – Water Striders

Barely denting the surface tension, it seems to weigh nothing:

But it creates oversized ripples as it darts away:

Last week I was pleased to find that some dragonflies have discovered the frog pond; these are most efficient predators both as adults and in their nymph stage.

Warning: I did not make this taxonomic name up ; be careful of your pronunciation. (Insert immature snickering here)

Pachydiplax longipennis – Blue Dasher

Anax junius – Common Green Darner

It will be nice if they join the growing cycle; mosquitoes are part of the cycle for sure (although they never mature beyond the larval stage due to the “dunks” I keep in the water.) They are all over the rice paddy (there are no water striders patrolling there yet).

Now the Bad bug:

What is she doing?

Laying a bazillion eggs, that’s what she is doing. Can you see the large larva underwater just behind her?

That’s all, just some bug pics tonight.