this bug was found swimming around in a feeder minnow tank at my work. It very well could have come in with a shipment, i've never seen anything like this around here. I live in the Chicago subs. It seems to be doing fine in the water, I don't know how long it was in the tank for, right now he's in a little container with a little water. He doesn't look like a water bug to me but it doesn't seem to hurt him at all. He is very cute tho! I don't just want to let him go he'll die outside now.
I guess I should add he looks kind of fuzzy, and as you can tell he is green.
This is a naiad (nymph) of a dragonfly, likely in the family Libellulidae. They are aquatic, breathing through gills in the posterior area of their digestive tract. As they are predaceous, they need to be kept in water that includes an abundance of potential prey (usually other aquatic invertebrates). Some people have claimed success using a muddy substrate with small worms. We often find these naiads in our stock tank that has numerous other insects in it.
thank you so much!
would it eat bloodworms? Only thing I can think of to get for it. or brine shrimp?
It's worth a try; it may be difficult to locate anything else in your area at this time of year.
Try feeder guppies.
