Common water strider

Description

Aquarius remigis, known as the common water strider, is a species of aquatic bug. It was formerly known as Gerris remigis, but the subgenus Aquarius was elevated to generic rank in 1990 on the basis of phylogenetic analysis. Aquarius remigis is found throughout North America, but is most prevalent in the mid-west of the United States. Aquarius remigis grows slightly longer than.5 inches, and is dark brown to black in colour. It has a sharp rostrum that it uses to pierce the body of its prey and suck out the insides. They normally continue to move to avoid being eaten by predators. It has good vision, and can row quickly over the surface of the water. It uses its front legs to seize its prey. During breeding season, this species can communicate with potential mates by sending ripples over on the surface of the water. Adult females normally lay their eggs on plant stems at the water's edge. This predatory species feeds on mosquito larvae living under the surface, and dead insects on the surface, and other insects that accidentally land on the water. Aquarius is a genus of water striders found predominantly in the northern hemisphere. Formerly a subgenus, Aquarius was elevated to generic rank in 1990 on the basis of phylogenetic analysis. These are among the world's largest water striders, with females averaging 12–17 mm (0.47–0.67 in) long and males roughly 10–30% smaller, depending on the exact species. An outlier is A. elongatus where both sexes typically are about 24 mm (0.94 in), roughly the same as certain Cylindrostethus, and second only to Gigantometra gigas.