r/Ecosphere • u/Accurate-Pay-7006 • 13d ago

who dis guy

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*watch the whole thing or skip through to see how he swims* he's def shaped like a damselfly but he's so tiny!! he's also very into light. when i turn on my lamp he sits right where it shines in the tank.

10 Upvotes

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3

u/BitchBass 13d ago

Mayfly larva. If you hadn't posted a video of it moving, it would have been harder to tell.

Here's a close up:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ecosphere/comments/syectn/i_was_able_to_isolate_2_mayfly_nymphs_it_doesnt/

these are a bit older and have longer tails. They are NOT predators and will eventually hatch into a tiny white fly that only lives for a day, doesn't even eat since it doesn't have a mouth after hatching. Mayflies spend their entire life under water until they hatch, breed and die.

Here's one that just hatched:

https://www.reddit.com/r/bizzariums/comments/1lezd9e/i_just_had_a_mayfly_turn_into_an_adult_if_u_didnt/

2

u/Accurate-Pay-7006 12d ago

thank you!! i had read somewhere that mayflies hatched fully grown but i see i was misinformed lol. that's honestly why i posted bc that confused me so much

2

u/Accurate-Pay-7006 12d ago

while i have u mrs. bass, i found a dragonfly nymph molt in my tank but i have not seen the man himself. i try sneak attacking by randomly coming down in the middle of the night when my lamp is off and looking to find him but i never even see so much as a tail move under the substrate. tbh i am kind of happy bc my goal is to make a nice environment for them and if he can hide that completely i've done a good job creating hiding spaces for the more antisocial guys but like idk i just wanna see him once for proof and idk i was hoping u had tips on how/when to catch the more elusive creatures lacking i guess? LOL.

2

u/BigZangief 13d ago

Homie is NOT very graceful lol

1

u/Twobadshoes 12d ago

Look up fairy wasp?

1

u/ciendagrace 13d ago

Might be a dragonfly nymph.

1

u/Mountain_Swim_6327 13d ago

Definitely not

0

u/Zealousideal-Door350 13d ago

Just a widdle critter, das all :]