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OK, these aren't really fantastic photographs but I am stoked to have discovered something I didn't even know existed.

While looking in the tadpool today, I notice what looked exactly like a stick insect (phasmid) under the water. At first, I thought, "Oh, the poor thing has drowned". But when I went to lift it out I realised it was well and truly alive. I placed it at the water's edge and it crawled back into the water and "swam".

A quick search on the web told me there are no aquatic phasmids. Looking a bit further revealed there is a water stick insect which is not a phasmid at all, but rather in order Hemiptera, the same order as cicadas, stink bugs, pond skaters, aphids and other sucking insects.

It was not easy getting shots of it underwater, so I have a couple with it out of the water (for a short period of time).

Water stick insect, Ranatra dispar.






All shots taken with D300, Nikkor 60mm lens, SB-800, DIY softbox, ISO 200, 1/60s. First 2 are f/11, last one is f/16.

Nice work Andrew. He's a skinny lil thing and there's not much to photograph.

Now that is a pretty cool insect.
Nicely spotted Andrew.

Thanks Matt and Colin. I have seen another one (or the same one up the other end of the pool). It looked like it was hunting - these guys prey on aquatic animals.

It looked like it was hunting - these guys prey on aquatic animals

interesting...are we gonna see a doco on the 'unknown underwater stick' (aka Ranatra dispar) insect soon

It would be interesting to see how this insect has evolved, as with most stick insects (the ones I have seen anyway) his body shape/size seems more suited to sitting on leaves and trees, not underwater....

biggerry wrote:It would be interesting to see how this insect has evolved, as with most stick insects (the ones I have seen anyway) his body shape/size seems more suited to sitting on leaves and trees, not underwater....

True stick insects (phasmids) are herbivorous and I suspect their shape is for camouflage to avoid being eaten. These water stick insects are predators and so it is likely the shape serves to hide them from both predators and their prey. In the water it looks like a twig that has fallen into the water. If I hadn't seen this first one (for me) and didn't know they existed, I probably wouldn't notice any more because they do look just like a stick. Now I have my eye in, I'll be looking much more carefully.