Water scorpion - Nepa cinerea

The water scorpion is a large, brown, leaf shaped predacious water bug. The long tail acts as a breathing tube to penetrate the water surface, exactly like a snorkel.

Clean well-vegetated ponds and other still or gently flowing water.

Feeds on Insects, tadpoles and small fish. It conceals itself in weed and grabs passing prey with its pincer-like front legs. The female lays eggs in the stems of plants under water.

Widely distributed in Britain, but commoner in the south.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.