Water Strider

One of the most easily identifiable insects in Strawberry Creek is the water strider (Aquarius remigis). Find a still pool of water in the creek and you are likely to find a water strider there, gliding along the surface. Water tension combined with their narrow bodies and four longs legs enable striders to stay atop the water. Their legs also help them catch and eat their prey. Striders use the sensory organ at the tip of each leg to detect water vibrations, and then they use their front legs to seize their meal out of the water. Water striders sometimes eat other aquatic insects, including mosquito larvae, but they mostly eat terrestrial or aerial insects that fall into the water.