Water striders are insects. Amazing animals that can walk on water What is the name of an insect that glides on water

There are a huge number of people living in the world amazing creatures. Some live in the sky, others on the ground, and still others prefer water. However, there are those who skillfully combine all three elements at the same time. water strider And this is exactly what we will talk about in our article.

Water strider insect: why was the little bug called that?

"Water strider" is the name of the beetle, familiar to Russian-speaking countries. Our ancestors came up with this name by looking at the way the insect glides through water. They got the impression that with its movements it seemed to be measuring water. Moreover, this name became so attached to the beetle that even today it is still called. Although in English language his name sounds like water strider, which means “running on water.”

General information about the species

It should be noted that this is a very common insect. The water strider lives almost everywhere, with the possible exception of the cold lands of the Arctic and Antarctic. Scientists classify these creatures as members of the family of hemiptera, a suborder of bedbugs. Today, more than 700 species of water striders are known, which differ not only in appearance and size, but also in their habitual way of life.

Appearance and distinctive features

So, what does a water strider look like? The insect, the photo of which looks more like a floating stick, has a rather long, elongated body. Depending on the subspecies, its size can range from 1-2 cm to 4-5 mm. At the same time, the insect that lives in the sea is considered the smallest.

The main feature of any water strider is its long legs. Often their size exceeds the body of the bug itself. Such proportions are due to the fact that the paws are the key to the survival of the species. After all, they are the ones that allow the insect to quickly glide across the water strider. In total, the water strider has six limbs. She also has wings, but she uses them quite rarely.

Most representatives of this species are painted in dull colors. The most common colors are brown and black. By the way, this color is not accidental - nature specially awarded it to the insect. The water strider is almost always on open space, That's why dark colors, perfectly merging with the water, is its only chance to protect itself from constantly hungry birds and amphibians.

Ability to run on waves

The water strider is an insect whose description always boils down to a story about its amazing ability to withstand the water element. So how does she manage not to drown? The thing is that the bedbug's legs are covered with a special substance that resembles fat in its structure. This creates a kind of barrier that prevents the limbs from submerging in the water.

In addition, the insect knows how to correctly distribute weight: the load does not fall on one point, but is evenly transferred to all six limbs. As for the high speed of movement, it is achieved through fast, impulse strokes. It is they who create turbulence behind the water strider, which pushes it forward.

It is noteworthy that the bug can swim both on mirror-smooth surfaces and among waves. It is this skill that allows water striders to settle on various types reservoirs, which significantly increases their survival rate, and consequently the population.

Diet

Do not think that this is a peaceful insect; the water strider is a real predator. She boldly attacks any small creature that is unlucky enough to find itself on the surface of the water. Such impudence is completely justified, since other insects are not able to fight back, being in an element alien to them.

The hunting principle of water striders is very simple. As soon as the prey falls into the water, they swim up to it with lightning speed and cling to the body with hook-shaped front legs. Then the predator pierces the prey's shell using a sharp proboscis located on the head. Afterwards, the water strider can only suck the liquid from the body of the unfortunate creature.

Features of behavior of water striders

Many people mistakenly assume that this is an exclusively aquatic insect. The water strider really conducts most her life in a pond, but this does not mean that she is not capable of conquering other elements. For example, she has wings that allow her to make short flights. She uses them if her native reservoir begins to dry up and she needs to find a new shelter.

These bugs can also crawl on the ground. They do this very ineptly, since their thin legs constantly get stuck in small cracks and breaks. However, despite this, land is vital for them. The thing is that water striders cannot spend the winter in water, and therefore look for a warm home in the ground or in a tree. Thus, this one is truly unique, because it managed to conquer three elements at once.

Natural enemies

The main enemies of water striders are birds and amphibians. The former catch insects in calm sunny weather, while the latter skillfully track them at the edge of the shore. Naturally, they cannot cause much harm to the population, but individual individuals will clearly have to come to terms with a sad fate.

The water strider is part of the water strider family, which belongs to the order of bugs (Hemiptera) and is adapted to sliding along the surface of standing water.

External signs of a water strider

Water striders are insects whose name very accurately matches their lifestyle. There are about 700 species of water striders and they all live in water, gliding along the surface of the water with extraordinary ease. With their elongated shape they resemble small boats.

The protective coloration of water striders is brown, dark brown, sometimes almost black. This device allows the water strider to remain invisible to birds against the background of the dark color of the surface of standing reservoirs.

Typically, water striders that live in large bodies of water do not have wings; they simply do not need them.

And the inhabitants of small puddles desperately need wings to fly from place to place as the reservoirs dry up. These water striders have fairly well-developed membranous wings hidden under their elytra, but insects rarely fly.

Movement of water striders on water

Water striders are real virtuosos of gliding along the surface of the water. They are able to use their long legs to run through the water, like speed skaters on smooth ice.

Having encountered an obstacle - a strip of duckweed or other aquatic plants, the “skaters” make deft leaps and overcome the obstacle with strong leaps. The main participation in such maneuvers belongs to the two rear pairs of legs. The water strider's legs are covered with a fatty substance and are not wetted by water, so the insect easily glides along the surface of the water. In addition, during movement, tiny turbulences appear in the water before the next stroke of the limbs. These mini-whirlpools help the water strider move across the surface without any effort, whether in a calm pond or in a restless ocean.

Scientists have proven that water striders of all sizes use their limbs like oars, rowing and transferring momentum to the water mainly through dipole vortices created by their legs. To test this assumption, the researchers created an artificial insect that could move like a water strider.
In English, a water strider is “water strider” or “walking on water.” The robot was called a “robostrider,” and the artificial water strider was able to move through the water like its natural counterpart.

When moving, the water strider spreads its legs wide, evenly distributing its body weight over a large area.

The structural features of the legs are also associated with the movements of insects through water: the thin legs of the water strider at the junction with the body are extremely thick, there are strong muscles that are involved in strong movements.

A water strider cannot drown, even if it is deliberately lowered into the water.

The ventral side of the body is covered with white hairs with a waxy substance, so water does not wet the body and legs of the water strider.

The fact is that air bubbles are held between the smallest hairs. And since the weight of the insect is small, this air prevents the water strider from drowning.

Water strider feeding

Water striders are predators. They feed on insects and small animals that they find on the surface of the water. Having detected prey with the help of large spherical eyes, the predator rushes at it and grabs it with its front legs, the shape of which is similar to a hook. Then the water strider uses its sharp proboscis, piercing it into the body of the victim and sucking out the contents. In a calm state, the water strider tucks its proboscis under its chest. The water strider has rather long antennae, which are organs of smell and touch.

The water strider is a predatory insect.

Breeding water striders

Water striders lay their eggs on the leaves of aquatic plants in a single row, with the eggs glued together with a slimy substance. The clutch looks like a long jelly-like cord consisting of about 50 eggs. Some clutches are made without a mucous substance and form a chain of testicles simply lying along the edge of the leaf of an aquatic plant, in this case the testicles are located parallel to each other in one row. Smaller species of water striders simply embed their eggs into plant tissue.

Features of the life of water striders

Water striders are excellent runners on water, but they are absolutely not adapted for long-term movement on land. Therefore, water striders come to land only when it is time to settle down for the winter. They lumber awkwardly along the ground in search of a secluded place. Insects hibernate near water, under bark, in moss or in tree crevices.

The front legs of water striders are shorter than the other legs and are necessary for grabbing food, pushing away when moving, and also for fighting.

Water striders do not miss the opportunity to hold on to their prey. Without dividing the piece, several fighters cling with their forelimbs from a running start, and, unable to resist, fall and roll on the surface of the water. The prey goes to the most cunning and dexterous water strider, which takes the food to a secluded place and devours it while the others sort it out among themselves. With the help of the front legs, the insect regulates the speed of movement, and the other four legs are a support and serve as a rudder.

What looks like a complete miracle sometimes turns out to be a simple natural phenomenon. Over the course of evolution, more than 1,200 species of animals have developed the ability to walk on water, from tiny insects and spiders to reptiles, birds and even mammals.

On the picture: helmed basilisk; nationalgeographic

Ants have never been known for their ability to swim, but latest research show that many of them operate surprisingly skillfully when surrounded by water. Among the 35 species of tropical ants studied, more than half showed good results in terms of a kind of “swimming”, confidently staying on the water surface. This skill allows them to deftly escape from predators without sinking to the bottom. Such observations were published in an issue of the journal Modern Biology.

Photo: full-hd-wallpaper

Walking on water is not magic at all: physics can explain this phenomenon. Tiny animals can easily glide across the water surface due to the fact that their weight is supported by surface tension - the force that arises when water molecules “cling” to each other.

“Surface tension is a property that occurs when air and water come into contact, creating a trampoline effect on the surface,” explains John Bush, a professor at MIT who studies fluid dynamics.

Water striders

Photo: vokrugsveta.ru

There are about 340 species of water striders - insects that spend most of their lives moving along the water surface. They belong to the group of so-called gliders (gliders) - creatures capable of moving on water. Among their “colleagues” are fishing spiders and geckos. ‎

By pressing on the water with its weightless legs, the water strider creates micro-depressions on its surface without piercing the top layer through. The impulses of the resulting tension set the insect in motion in small jolts. By alternately moving pairs of legs, the water strider glides through the water. Her measured steps create a trail of barely noticeable whirlpools that help her movement. The limbs of this elegant insect are covered with a layer of water-repellent hairs, which provides additional unsinkability.

‎Fishing spiders

Photo: Corbis

Along the river banks North America Fishing spiders live here - quite large creatures that can eat a minnow or a small frog. These arthropods mainly feed on insects, hunting through the water column. The fisherman stays afloat thanks to water-repellent hairs covering his paws.‎

The fishing spider has several styles of movement through water: during leisurely walks, it is likened to a water strider, and when chasing prey or escaping from predators, its step turns into a real gallop.

“When running, spiders alternate pairs of their legs, pushing off from the surface with each of them in turn. Thus, they literally throw themselves into the air, springing on the water,” says biology professor Robert Suter of Vassar College.

Among other things, these creatures are able to swim like a sailboat: catching the wind with their legs raised up, the spiders allow its breezes to pick them up and easily push them forward along the surface of the water. According to Professor Suter, this style of locomotion could allow spiders to travel long distances with little or no energy expenditure.

Dwarf geckos

The fragile Brazilian dwarf gecko, measuring about 4 cm in size, would seem capable of drowning in the smallest puddle. However, during the course of evolution, this lizard has acquired several tricks that allow it to remain safe in the rain forests that are its habitat. ‎

Since the size of this reptile is very small, it can easily move through the water like water striders and fishing spiders. In addition, the gecko has water-repellent skin, which prevents the body from breaking the surface tension of the water.

Basilisk lizard

Basilisks, tree lizards Central America, received the popular nickname “Jesus Christ Lizard” for their ability to walk on water. When frightened, basilisks can run on their hind limbs along the surface of a reservoir up to 4.5 meters.

The weight of basilisk lizards does not allow them to glide through the water in a calm state, so scientists classify them as “strikers” - animals forced to move intensely in order to stay afloat. The “impact” technique consists of rapidly striking a series of steps onto the water surface, breaking through the surface tension and receiving a response push. The impulse from each push is maintained for enough time for the next step, while the lizards have to make enormous efforts to stabilize their vertical position.

Western American grebe

West American grebes are birds that spend most of their time in bodies of water. Nature has endowed them with powerful legs and short wings, which create not very convenient conditions for a land-based lifestyle. The breathtakingly beautiful and complex ritual of courtship of these birds is called nothing more than a “rush”: the male and female synchronously turn around, make a rapid dash forward, rise sharply above the water and, with the furious flapping of their wings, “run” along the surface of the reservoir, moving over it. feet. ‎

Moving in this way over distances of up to 9 meters, grebes take about 22 steps per second. The fingers of these birds do not have webs - their structure resembles small oars, which helps to level the position of the body when moving through the water.

Dolphins

Photo: hqoboi.com

Even such large animals as dolphins can “walk” through the water from time to time. Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society spokesman Mike Bossley has been studying the behavior of these mammals in an Australian port for 25 years. He recently announced the existence of such a phenomenon as “tail walking.” By vigorously slapping the water with their tail, dolphins are able to assume a vertical body position above its surface and thus move forward. During such a movement, only the tip of the tail remains immersed in water.

Dolphins successfully learn the trick of walking on their tail in captivity, but in free waters this phenomenon turns out to be quite rare. One day Bossley saw a female dolphin “walking” on her tail. Subsequently, all the local dolphins joined her, adopting her technique. Scientists find it difficult to name the probable reasons for such walking. It is quite possible that dolphins are simply having fun in this way, having fun.

The water strider is a bug whose name reflects its lifestyle. These insects live in ponds, lakes and quiet rivers. There are also sea water striders. These bugs move along the surface of the water and do not drown thanks to the fatty film that covers their paws. There is also a layer of fat on the abdomen. In addition, water has surface tension, and it is largely due to this that water striders are held on its surface. The paws of this insect evenly distribute its weight over the surface of the water, which holds the light water strider with its density.

There are about 700 species of these bugs. The water strider has a narrow, elongated body, which allows it to move quickly. The insect's body length is from 1 to 3 centimeters. The water strider also has 3 pairs of thin legs of varying lengths. The front pair of paws is short compared to the other two - the water strider uses these paws to capture prey. Thanks to the remaining two pairs of paws, the water strider can glide through the water. This bug also has a pair of antennae on its head - these antennae help to detect the smallest vibrations in the water. Some water striders also have wings. Wingless water striders do not leave their native pond all their lives. Lake and river water striders do not move far from the shore of a reservoir, while sea water striders can cover distances of hundreds of meters. These insects do not live alone - at least 3-4 bugs can be found on the surface of the pond. Water striders feed on small insects - midges, caterpillars, mosquitoes. During the breeding season, water striders lay eggs, the number of which can number 50 pieces. The eggs hatch into larvae that feed on the same food as adults.

Video: Mating dances of pond-scaters

Water striders easily glide across the surface of ponds and streams as if on ice. How do they manage to “walk on water” and remain completely dry?

A detailed study of the surface of the water strider's legs provides a surprising answer. Many insects, when they come into contact with the surface of the water, stick to it, and the legs of water striders are covered thousands fluffy tiny hairs known as microhairs that trap air and form a floating cushion.

These needle-like threads are tens of times narrower than human hair and are protected with special wax. Each thread is also covered in orderly microscopic channels, or nanogrooves. When wet, the grooves trap tiny air bubbles. The result is an effective waterproof or hydrophobic barrier. By taking advantage of the natural surface tension of the water itself, the water strider stays dry.

Microfibers also have a similar design. But this lizard's grooves are divided into thousands of small branches. The gecko's rough surface creates attractive forces at the molecular level (called "van der Waals forces"), thanks to which it is able to crawl along ceilings and walls.

The hairs on the water strider's legs are covered with tiny channels called nanogrooves. These channels hold air bubbles that form a floating cushion.

Researchers in China have measured the extent to which water striders are able to remain submerged. They created an artificial model of a water strider's foot, equipped it with hair follicles, and then placed it on the surface of the water and applied gentle pressure. The foot made a hole in the water without sinking, and was able to support 15 times the water strider's body weight before finally breaking through the surface of the water.

Research on water striders could lead to the creation of miniature swimming robots that can monitor water quality. Additionally, adding an invisible layer of microhairs could lead to new water-repellent fabrics and dyes.

Water striders glide across water surfaces at incredibly high speeds. They do this with one clever trick: they dip the tips of their paws into the water and create small funnels or whirlpools. The insect then pushes off from the “mini-wall” of the resulting funnel and quickly flies forward.

Water striders are able to overcome in one second a distance one hundred times the length of their own body. If we increase this speed to our scale, it is equivalent to a person moving at a speed of 640 km/h.

During Creation Week, God created all living creatures, including the amazing water striders. Their structure and behavior are far from simple. On the contrary, these insects exhibit complex, creative designs and provide scientists with practical ideas for creating a variety of new products.

We don't yet have shoes that would allow us to easily walk on the surface of the water like water striders do, but just imagine what opportunities it would give us!

Dr. Don DeYoung- Chairman of the Department of Physical Sciences at Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana. He is an active speaker on the Answers in Genesis Project and the author of 17 books on the connection between the Bible and science. On this moment Dr. DeYoung is President of the Creation Research Society, which has hundreds of members worldwide.

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