Common Pond Skater
Gerris lacustris
Adult common pond skaters patrol the surface of ponds, lakes, canals, and quiet backwaters, skating rapidly on long water-repellent legs. They are predators and scavengers, piercing fallen insects with a sharp beak-like rostrum and sucking out their fluids. Adults communicate and locate prey through surface vibrations, making ripples an important part of their hunting life. Some adults develop wings and can disperse to new water bodies, but their main activity remains running and hunting on the water surface.
- Type
- Water
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- Common Pond Skater Nymph
- Common Pond Skater