The Winged Wildlife Living In and Around Your Pond

By Rick Osbourne

Way back in your sophomore year of college you failed your one and only class in entomology, the study of bugs. You and your friends always laughed and called it "bugology." After all, you were a city kid who was brought up to think that everything that creeped, crawled, and had more than four legs was something you should at least avoid, if not step on at every chance. It makes the world a better place, right?

But last summer your family decided to have a water garden installed in your backyard, complete with a waterfall and stream. And now, after a full year of pondering, you've found yourself totally intrigued by all the wildlife that has found its way into your backyard, as the result of being attracted to your beautiful, naturally balanced, aquatic paradise.

Birds and Other Critters
In this short period of time, you've already seen birds of all sizes and colors swooping in and out, flapping their wings frantically as they bathe, flinging water in all directions. You've also seen frogs and toads. And one night you discovered what looked to be deer tracks. Then there's your pet dog, old Fighto (he used to be ferocious), who loves to lounge at the foot of the waterfalls on a hot summer afternoon in order to cool off. And no, he doesn't bother your fish at all.

These critters sparked your curiosity as to what else might be living in your pond and you started reading all about the wildlife that it attracts. In the process, you learned that there are other forms of wildlife that are living in your pond that you can't always see. That's right, the kind of wildlife that, if you'd paid attention in that entomology class, you'd know more about.

The Winged Visitors
There are many different insects that live in and around a backyard water feature. Most of them live their adult lives as flying insects, like the dragonfly, and spend their larval stage in the water – your pond.

The dragonfly has caught your attention as it gracefully flies around your pond. You've actually noticed quite a few of them and, in your research, found out that they are known to consume large numbers of mosquitoes. Not only that, but a wide variety of birds, amphibians, and insects enjoy eating them, thereby attracting even more interesting critters to your backyard paradise.

An adult female dragonfly lays her eggs in the water and sometime during the next 12 to 30 days, the eggs hatch into the nymph stage. The dragonfly nymph is the color of the bottom of the pond and can be found there until it is time to enter their more commonly recognized adult stage. Because they're interesting to watch and benefit your water garden, you welcome them into your backyard paradise and plan to continue learning more about them.

Damselflies Are Like Dragonflies But …
There's another insect that looks a lot like a dragonfly, but it's called a damselfly. The only way you can tell the difference, you learned by looking at their wings. The dragonfly holds its wings out to the side when resting, while the damselfly folds 'em together above its body. The tail of the damselfly nymph is longer and more slender than the dragonfly nymph, and it contains gills that allow it to breathe oxygen during the time that it's underwater.

Dobsonflies and Caddisflies
The dobsonfly is a large, dark, flying insect that is mostly nocturnal. They are predators with a large appetite for small, aquatic invertebrates. Their larvae are large, up to three inches in length, with strong jaws, legs, and up to eight pairs of gill filaments attached to the abdomen, which look like small legs. They're found mostly in fast moving streams and they make great fish bait.

Another common pond inhabitant is an insect known as the caddisfly. The adult is moth-like in looks, with hairs on its wings, and long, slender, antennae. The caddisfly larvae can be found in moving water, along the bottom of ponds or streams. Most live in tubes, or cases they construct from sand, pebbles, or pieces of leaves and wood. They eat algae, decaying plant matter, and microorganisms.

Stoneflies Indicate Good Water Quality
The stonefly is found under stones and amongst debris in clear, cool, running water. As a matter of fact, their presence is an indication of good water quality. They're multicolored with black, brown, tan, and yellow coloring. Initially their larvae feed on dead plant material and one-cell organisms … makes you wonder if they can actually count. As they grow larger, they become predators and also an important source of fish food. As adults, they have transparent wings, visible veins, and they're generally gray and brownish in color.

Craneflies Are Giant Mosquitoes, But…
The cranefly, also known as a mosquito hawk, is significant because it resembles a giant mosquito. But in actuality, they're harmless, with long, slender bodies, and very long legs. The larvae of the cranefly also looks like a mosquito larvae, but they are larger and are often brownish gray, or transparent. The larvae feed on debris such as decaying leaves that accumulate on the bottom of the pond, or in backwater streams.

Five Varieties Of Water Bugs
Water bugs actually come in a number of different varieties, including the giant water bug, the water scorpion, the water striders, the water boatmen, and the backswimmers.

Giant water bugs are brown and grow up to three inches in length. They can dive for their food or for protection. To do this, they must first capture a bubble of air, which they take underwater. When the bubble is gone, they must return to the surface to get more air. They are a predatory insect that feeds on tadpoles, insect larvae, small frogs, and even fish.

Water boatmen are the most common of aquatic insects and can be identified by the oar-like hind legs that are used to propel themselves through the water. They live on small organisms, algae, plankton, and other forms of debris. They dive underwater with a film of air covering their body so they can breathe. They can also fly.

Finally, the backswimmer looks just like the water boatmen, but they swim on their back – yes, technically they do the backstroke. They prey on aquatic insects, and they can bite.

More Than Just Relaxation
So when you add it all up, the beautiful, naturally balanced, aquatic circle of life sitting in your backyard is a relaxing paradise that allows you, your family, and friends to stretch out, and kick back. But if you look a little closer, it's lots more. It's a home for all kinds of Mother Nature's critters and varmints. If you take the time to find out everything that's going on in and around your pond, you'll be astounded. Not only that, but you'll be able to carry on an intelligent conversation about that entomology subject.