Diving beetle??? Are they ok? Help please!!!!

[Terra]

Ok so yesterday evening I planted my water lillies and they are doing great. I used some very loamy clay like soil out of our irrigation ditch that is fed by lake pleasant north of us here in Arizona. However when I was skimming the Palo Verde flowers out of my pond this afternoon a huge!, like one inch long by half and inch wide brownish black swimming beetle came to the surface then very very quickly dove away as I tried to catch it. I think it came from the soil I used from our irrigation ditch. I'm thinking it's a diving beetle? Are these ok for my pond and plants or should I try to remove it if I see it again or leave it alone? I have quite a few minnows and gold fish and two small koi and a turushuki cat fish in my pond. What should I do! Help!

 

[Tombstone]

Ok so yesterday evening I planted my water lillies and they are doing great. I used some very loamy clay like soil out of our irrigation ditch that is fed by lake pleasant north of us here in Arizona. However when I was skimming the Palo Verde flowers out of my pond this afternoon a huge!, like one inch long by half and inch wide brownish black swimming beetle came to the surface then very very quickly dove away as I tried to catch it. I think it came from the soil I used from our irrigation ditch. I'm thinking it's a diving beetle? Are these ok for my pond and plants or should I try to remove it if I see it again or leave it alone? I have quite a few minnows and gold fish and two small koi and a turushuki cat fish in my pond. What should I do! Help!

I've never had trouble with them, they come in all sizes too. They have lived in my small pond for years.

 

[Waterbug]

That size I'd assume would be a Giant Water Bug Lethocerus americanus of some kind. They will feed on small fish and can bite but I personally wouldn't worry. The minnows, I assume Mosquitofish can out reproduce any loss. They will walk on dry land and at least some fly. So may have come in on its own too.

 

[Terra]

Thanks guys! It surprised the heck out of me and I'm not big on creepy crawlies so I kinda got the heebie jeebies lol

 

[Waterbug]

Yeah, they're the stuff of nightmares.

 

[Terra]

It looked like this. Says it's a giant black water beetle

 

[Waterbug]

I do call those types of bugs "diving beetles" but that could just be me. Without the big front legs I never though of them as catching fish...never seen it anyways.

 

[addy1]

I have seen the big water spiders eat fry, they drag them up onto the lily pads, never caught a beetle eating any fry.

 

[DeepWater]

http://eekwi.org/critter/watercritter/giantbug.htm

I love these giant water beetles! When I filled my pond with liner, rocks and water last fall, this was the very first sign of life I saw. I saw him/her several more times as I continued to line the pond. I think they fly in and/or out, and being that you saw it hanging out, meant it liked what you have created.

 

[moby]

Both the adult and larvae can be a danger to small fish. The aquatic larvae have huge jaws that shoot out and grab hold of unsuspecting small things....at least that's what the UK's Great diving beetle larvae do!

 

[addy1]

Good population control!

 

[Usman]

ihv seen it catching and trying to eat my betta in aquarium , i had to catch it , i was doing experiment , i think i saw in one documentary too on discovery that it eats fish , can b slowmoving smaller ones

 

[Usman]

see this how dangerous it is
Giant water bug eats big fish - YouTube

Giant Waterbug Feeding on Goldfish - YouTube

 

[adavisus]

Diving beetles are not vegetarian.... apex predator is more their thing

 

[Lisak1]

@Usman What has been seen cannot be unseen! YIKES!