Water Strider / Pond Skater
Tenagogerris euphrosyne
Family: Gerridae
Order: Hemiptera
The Gerridae, or Water Striders, are small hemipterans or "true-bugs" - insects that feed by piercing prey and sucking the contents through the proboscis. The prey include spiders and insects. Cannibalism is common and the adults will prey upon other adults as well as larvae. On the other hand, the adults will sometimes share large prey with other adults.
Prey is located from vibrations in the water surface.
Gerridae adults will communicate with others for the purpose of mating. Several specific frequencies of vibration are produced, each frequency communicating a different message to assist in the mating process.
The Gerridae are very similar in appearance to another semiaquatic family of bugs, the Veliidae.
The striders walk on the water, thanks to surface tension and hydrophobic hairs on the legs. The hairs extend across the whole body too, making the insect able to repel splashes of water. They are so successful in their niche, that the strider family, the Gerridae, are widespread with some 1700 species described, 10% of which are marine.
The Gerridae are polymorphic in that they can have wings in one generation, when there might be a need to relocate to a new water body, however the next generation may not have wings, if the current environment is stable.
The Gerridae possess scent glands in the thorax that deter fish from eating them.
DSC03543
Water Strider / Pond Skater
Tenagogerris euphrosyne
Family: Gerridae
Order: Hemiptera
The Gerridae, or Water Striders, are small hemipterans or "true-bugs" - insects that feed by piercing prey and sucking the contents through the proboscis. The prey include spiders and insects. Cannibalism is common and the adults will prey upon other adults as well as larvae. On the other hand, the adults will sometimes share large prey with other adults.
Prey is located from vibrations in the water surface.
Gerridae adults will communicate with others for the purpose of mating. Several specific frequencies of vibration are produced, each frequency communicating a different message to assist in the mating process.
The Gerridae are very similar in appearance to another semiaquatic family of bugs, the Veliidae.
The striders walk on the water, thanks to surface tension and hydrophobic hairs on the legs. The hairs extend across the whole body too, making the insect able to repel splashes of water. They are so successful in their niche, that the strider family, the Gerridae, are widespread with some 1700 species described, 10% of which are marine.
The Gerridae are polymorphic in that they can have wings in one generation, when there might be a need to relocate to a new water body, however the next generation may not have wings, if the current environment is stable.
The Gerridae possess scent glands in the thorax that deter fish from eating them.
DSC03543