General: Water Striders (Gerris remigis) are flying insects that spend most of their time "walking" on the water surface of ponds, marshes, and other slow-moving bodies of water. Males are about 1/2-inch long, and females are slightly larger.

Water Striders have an elongate body and six legs. The front legs are short, but the other two pairs are long. The front legs are short and used for grasping prey. The middle pair are used for moving on the water surface (i.e., rowing), and the hind legs are used for steering. The legs are covered with tiny hairs that act to keep the leg dry.

Water striders are predators that eat small insects who land on the surface of the water and the larvae of emerging insects. Water striders detect vibrations on the water surface and use them to locate their prey. Water striders are too small to bite humans.

Water striders escape predators by diving underwater or by flying away, although it seems that fish don't like to eat them. They can also fly to other ponds, which is helpful for insects living in desert springs that sometimes dry up.