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Gerridae

Water Strider-Pond Skater-Water Skipper

family

“Water Striders”, “Water Bugs”, “Water Skippers”

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If a land-based or flying insect is unlucky enough to find itself in the water somehow, the ripples it makes as it struggles is like ringing the dinner bell for striders, who can sense the varied light reflections caused by the wavy surface film around a moving object. Once within its grasp, the strider will use its powerful penetrating proboscis to pierce the exoskeleton, then needle-like stylets inject proteolytic enzymes which simultaneously subdues the prey as it dissolves its innards. Once just the right consistency has been reached, a pump in the head of the strider sucks up the nutrient-rich liquid.

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Water Strider on Yellowstone National Park’s Trout Lake, Jacob W. Frank (NPS) photograph above.

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The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, Jesus bugs, or water skimmers. Consistent with the classification of the Gerridae as true bugs (i.e., suborder Heteroptera), gerrids have mouthparts evolved for piercing and sucking, and distinguish themselves by having the unusual ability to walk on water, making them pleuston (surface-living) animals. They are anatomically built to transfer their weight to be able to run on top of the water's surface. As a result, one could likely find water striders present in any pond, river, or lake. Over 1,700 species of gerrids have been described, 10% of them being marine.While 90% of the Gerridae are freshwater bugs, the oceanic…