Can anyone tell me what this is?

[supermansteve32]

Hi. I recently bought some hornwart plants online. I stuck one in my tank before cleaning and there's this insect on it I've never seen before. Gonna try to upload video.  I've found 5 so far

[jayc]

WOW! 

sorry but I don't know. Never seen one before.

[Crabby]

Gee, first time I’ve seen you totally stumped jayc! How big are these critters Steve?

[supermansteve32]

They're about a cm long. I tried uploading a video but the file was too large. They have 4 legs in the front by their heads, I watched them swim and they swim with those front 4 legs so they're pretty slow. They try to blend in with the plant. I really had to pull to get them to let go

[jayc]

3 hours ago, Crabclaw said:

Gee, first time I’ve seen you totally stumped jayc!

That's how you know I'm not a bot.

 

I wonder if it is a Brachycentridae (brachycentrid caddisflies) larvae, and it has got creative with what it's sheltering in.

Look up pictures of caddis fly larva pictures and compare.

Edited December 11, 2019 by jayc

[Crabby]

36 minutes ago, supermansteve32 said:

They're about a cm long. I tried uploading a video but the file was too large. They have 4 legs in the front by their heads, I watched them swim and they swim with those front 4 legs so they're pretty slow. They try to blend in with the plant. I really had to pull to get them to let go

Creepy!

 

31 minutes ago, jayc said:

That's how you know I'm not a bot.

 

I wonder if it is a Brachycentridae (brachycentrid caddisflies) larvae, and it has got creative with what it's sheltering in.

Look up pictures of caddis fly larva pictures and compare.

Thought they might be a fly or damselfly/dragonfly larvae.

[sdlTBfanUK]

Very creepy! It could be a type of damselfly?

Whatever it is I would whip them out post haste?

Simon

[supermansteve32]

I uploaded a video to YouTube. 

I don't  think it's a dragonfly or damselfly. Those have bulging eyes

[Zoidburg]

Another vote for caddisfly??? I always forget what they're called, but they do build homes for thesemlves which help them blend in and protect them from predators.

[jayc]

It's not a damselfly larvae or Dragon fly larvae. They don't look like that.

 

Have you caught it yet?

If you catch it, see it the long green part is a plant the larvae is hiding in.

If you can separate the green part from the larvae, it's a caddis fly. 

Now I'm all curious to find out what it is.

Edited December 12, 2019 by jayc

[supermansteve32]

It is strange. When I grab one they shrink into the shell/exoskeleton. I can pinch the tip a little and it feels like plastic. If it is a shell they made from their environment all there ones I've seen have the same source. When they swim it does look like it's a kind id worm inside the shell. I've attached a picture of one in the shell. 

[jayc]

Did you pull the larva out?

Did it look like this?