Gerridae
Sign in to savethumb|Nymph in Cyprus thumb|Walking on water surface; the dark blobs are shadows cast by water disturbances around each of the six legs touching the water.
AI overview
Gerridae are water striders, small insects that can walk on the surface of water by distributing their weight across specially adapted legs and relying on water's surface tension. They're notable because they demonstrate how some animals have evolved remarkable physical adaptations to live in environments where most other creatures cannot easily survive.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassInsecta
- OrderHemiptera
- FamilyGerridae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
22 sectionsContents
- Description
- Size
- Antennae
- Thorax
- Appendages
- Wings
- Evolution
- Wing polymorphism
- Ability to move on water's surface
- Life cycle
- Ecology
- Habitat
- Diet
- Predators
- Parasites
- Dispersal
- Mating behavior
- Social behavior
- In popular culture
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Nymph in Cyprus thumb|Walking on water surface; the dark blobs are shadows cast by water disturbances around each of the six legs touching the water.
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, water gliders, water skimmers or puddle flies. They are true bugs of the suborder Heteroptera and have mouthparts evolved for piercing and sucking. A distinguishing feature is the ability to move on top of the water's surface, making them pleuston (surface-living) animals. They can be found on most ponds, rivers or lakes, and over 1,700 species of gerrids have been described, 10% of them being marine.