Water strider

[ GERRIS REMIGIS ]

Water striders are the perfect, poetic rendering of water’s most magical property -- its tendency to form an invisible membrane on its surface like a fragile skin. And as if granted special powers, water striders live entirely on top of this slippery skin that is only a few molecules thick. Here, they move with incredible grace, reading every subtle change in surface tension with their six spider-like legs, darting effortlessly to and fro in the shimmering shallows of ponds and streams throughout California. To them the water is a busy telegraph, resonating with the struggling vibrations of tasty insects. Water striders even communicate with each other by bobbing their bodies against the water and sending out ripples that speak of courtship or trespass.

NATURAL HISTORY

The most enduring mystery of water striders is how they float so lightly that they can carry 15 times their weight without sinking. Their legs are covered with microscopic hairs that hold air in special grooves and repel water. Using these legs like oars, they can travel 100 body lengths per second -- the equivalent of a human running 400 mph.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Like all true bugs, striders have leathery wing covers and sucking mouthparts; their dark-brown bodies are about half an inch long.