Rat tailed maggots

Hoverfly larvae I believe but I could be wrong :)
 
GardenersHelper said:
Very interesting David. I'd like to know more about the setup too. And why much more light?
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I try to document it in the next week or so - but I am going to Norfolk to see the seals this weekend.
I don't know why it needs more light, I guess the water reduces the power, I can get decent lighting with just the camera flash but with observation cells I need another slave flash and a led light as well.
 
Seen various types of maggot's in my time (worked for a maggot farm/fishing tackle shops) but never any like this, they probably would catch fish too.

Thanks for posting, you learn something new every day. :)
 
Toxic said:
Seen various types of maggot's in my time (worked for a maggot farm/fishing tackle shops) but never any like this, they probably would catch fish too.

Thanks for posting, you learn something new every day. :)
Click to expand...
I just realized that "catch fish" meant - use for bait, not can they catch fish as their prey.
Oops!
 
These look like the type which turn into those yellowy brown dung flies, if so they fell in the water and won't survive long in it I suspect.
This time of year the life cycle must be operating in slow motion.
 
4wd said:
These look like the type which turn into those yellowy brown dung flies, if so they fell in the water and won't survive long in it I suspect.
This time of year the life cycle must be operating in slow motion.
Click to expand...
They are definitely living in the water, every time I see them they are swimming happily and I have found them in stagnant water before.
 
This is how I took the photos. Two photographic plates, cleaned in bleach stuck together with tubing between them. A led light and cloth* which was placed over it, plus a flash. This is very much v1 - any ideas welcomed. I want to make a bigger one for tadpoles newts etc.
The book I got the idea from suggested using a bull dog clip but I broke a plate doing that so don't suggest it. Removing the material was quite tricky as well.
Possibly it might have been better to go to a glazier but I didn't really want to try to explain it to someone about the glass.
I found the whole process really difficult and when I messed up one and swore my wife offered to do it for much easier than I could.
Things that need changing
1) It is unstable
2) I don't like the white tube - any ideas of how to keep the plates apart which look better

*card would be better but we have a problem of storage in the house.

Water set up IMG0758 by davholla2002, on Flickr

Here is another photo

Rat tailed maggots by davholla2002, on Flickr

Normally I don't need an external flash for this combination, so you can see the amount of extra light needed see this image with just an external flash
IMG_9123redadmiral by davholla2002, on Flickr
 
4wd said:
These look like the type which turn into those yellowy brown dung flies, if so they fell in the water and won't survive long in it I suspect.
This time of year the life cycle must be operating in slow motion.
Click to expand...

They are the larvae of a drone fly and live out this part of their life-cycle in anaerobic conditions (such as stagnant water), their 'tails' are breathing tubes, which they extend up to the water's surface to breathe air from time to time, as there wouldn't be enough dissolved oxygen in the stagnant water in which they live for gills to work. However, they can still be found from time to time in less anaerobic conditions. Hope this is useful.
 
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