Water Strider

Water Striders



Water Striders, you might call them "Skaters" or "Pond Skaters", are amazing insects. They are amazing because they have the ability to move about on the surface film of fresh and salt water. This is accomplished by the Strider's unique body. Like all true bugs, this insect has a three part body, six jointed legs, and two antennae. Special characteristics include an underside covered with water-repellent hair, long middle legs (paddles or oars) that enable it to move across the water, long hind legs (rudders and brakes), that steer them and help them stop. The short front legs are used to catch pray (small insects that float on the water surface, or rise to the surface from the bottom of the pond. Water Striders are very sensitive to motion and vibration on the water's surface, and this enables them to locate pray. Water Striders are harmless to people, they do not bite. Some adults can and do over winter by crawling into a plant stem. Welcome them to your backyard pond, they are a predator to mosquitoes.

There may be a problem attracting Water Striders to ponds in urban locations. If you don't have them naturally occurring in your pond, they are very easy to import, providing they are native to your area. Never introduce into your habitat, anything that would not occur there by nature. Locate them in a neighborhood pond, scoop up a few, put them in a container for transporting, and release them in your pond.

Water Striders in Action