Water Striders

I found these little guys while on a hike last weekend. They are living on the surface film of a slow moving stream in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia. Their water repellent hairs and the surface tension of the water keep them from sinking and give them that ability to skate over the water. For food they feed on small aquatic insects by stabbing them with their proboscis plus eating the land insects that landed on the water by mistake and became trapped. I’m sure you have seen a moth or two in this predicament. Water Striders are in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as True Bugs, and have piercing and sucking mouth parts like a Stink Bug. They were fun to watch but difficult for me to photograph. Here is my best shot so far.

Enjoy other Watery Wednesday photos and musings here.