| Common Pondskater Gerris
lacustris (aka Common Water Strider) |
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Monks Eleigh Garden, Suffolk, England The Common Pondskater is very widespread and must be one of the commonest insects in Britain. It is usually seen skating across the surface of ponds using the middle pair of its six legs to row, the hind pair to steer and the front pair to feel and then capture its prey. | |||
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It preys on insects and small
invertebrates either on or just below the surface of the water
and its sucks them dry using its beak. It hibernates on land over the winter becoming active in the spring when they return to the water to feed and to mate. Eggs are laid which mature in the summer to provide a second generation of adults. There is more information on Wikipedia. |
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