Common pond skater

The common pond skater is a slender, dark-brown insect that seems to do something magical — it walks on water! You can find these little bugs gliding across the top of ponds and quiet streams, only about eight to ten millimetres long, dashing about on their long, thin legs without ever sinking.

So how does it stay on top? The surface of water behaves a little like a stretchy, invisible skin, and scientists call this surface tension. The pond skater’s legs and body are covered with thousands of tiny hairs coated in a waxy layer that pushes water away. Those water-repellent hairs let it rest lightly on the surface and skate along without getting wet.

Each pair of legs has its own special job. The short front legs are for grabbing food. The long middle legs row the pond skater along, like the oars of a little boat. And the back legs trail behind to steer, working just like the rudder that guides a ship.

Pond skaters are clever hunters. When a small insect falls onto the water and struggles, it makes tiny ripples spread across the surface. The pond skater can feel these ripples through its legs and skates quickly over to find its meal, using its beak-like mouthparts to feed on small insects and other water creatures.

These insects live in ponds, ditches and slow streams across Europe, and they are a common sight on calm water in warm weather. If their pond ever dries up, some pond skaters can travel overland to find a new pool to call home.