WONDERFUL TIMING I found your blog right after catching this little guy:
Not sure who he is, but I love aquatic insects, and I'm glad there's a blog enthusing over them!
Love to see it!!! That’s a damselfly larvae! Damselflies are part of the order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) which is split down into Anisoptera (the dragons) and Zygoptera (the damsels). I’ve personally raised two of these funky sticks into adults!
I personally can’t identify this one to family, but there’s plenty of people who may be able to in places like college departments of entomology/aquatics, conservation organizations, and local experts affiliated with any manner of things. I highly recommend that you look up damselflies on iNaturalist in the general area that you caught this baby and explore the variety of species!!
Fun fact about em: they’re predators, and they’ll eat minnows quite happily!
