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Water Strider

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Gerris remigis
Water Strider

Range

There are many different species and they are found all over North America.

Habitat

They live on ponds and the calm edges of streams.

Body Traits

They have a thin, flat, body with long, thin legs. The back legs are much longer than the front legs. Tiny hairs on their legs keep water from reaching them and helps make the “water tension” that holds them up. They have no wings if they become adults in the summer. If they come out in the fall, they may have wings.

Habits

They “skate” on water's surface using the water tension to hold them up.

Diet

They eat insects that land on the water. Both young phase and adult form have a “beak” that they stab prey with and suck out their juices.

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School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Reproduction

Females lay eggs under water or on things that float by on the water. Young hatch out and live under water for a phase (larvae or nymph). They also eat insects.

Water Strider

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Infraorder: Gerromorpha
Family: Gerridae
Genus:  Gerris
Species: G. remigis

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