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I think this stick insect-like bug has to be Hydrometra stagnorum - water walking with a springtail it is sucking. The only other UK species is rare and further to the east than I live.

Wiltshire, southwest UK 17.4.10

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Another view of this water measurer on the water surface of a stream

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Dear Nick
I think you're right. I even think that I can see the teeth at the posterior edge of the sternites 6 and 7 which makes it a male H. stagnorum. Besides this, the specimen is not as reddish brown as I'm used to see in H. gracilenta, but more blackish brown as in H. stagnorum.

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OK, many thanks for this helpful feedback.