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Water Strider
Photo: Courtesy of Damon Ramsey
Water Striders,
Family Gerridae
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There are over 30 species in
this family in Australia.
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Water Striders have evolved to
live their lives on the surface of water. With their long thin legs they can
walk on water using the surface tension, which, on such a small scale, is
actually quite strong.
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They can detect ripples in the
water from insects that have fallen and are trapped in that surface tension,
and prey on them.
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They are most common on still
fresh water and can be seen in pools of rainforest streams.
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Often it is the shadows of the
indentations in the water surface that are noticed more than the actual insect
itself.
Script: Courtesy of Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide
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