I think you've gone aquatic.

I have.

I went out with my students to Pocahontas State Park, and we walked around Beaver Lake we found a beautiful little stream that leads into the lake, still pools along the edge, and they were filled with water striders.

I love waterstriders.

I do, too.

Ever since I was a kid, you took the words right out of my mouth.

I still remember seeing those sunny pools and noticing the reflection of the dimples under their feet.

First before I actually saw them.

They have unwettable hairs on their feet.

Unwettable.

Unwettable.

Well, insects don't have hair.

They have setae.

These are hair like structures that are coated in wax.

They have grooves on them that hold a thin layer of air around their feet.

And as they ride around in those little dimples, their feet never get wet.

They're on a thin layer of air.

And as they grow their middle legs to propel themselves around, that creates dual vortices that go back and outward underneath the dimples and that propels the dimples forward.

It's kind of like air hockey.

Yeah, exactly.

And since they're riding in the dimples, they go forward too when it gets warmer, some species will start to develop wings.

Apparently, warm temperatures are a trigger that the water could be going away.

So they need to be prepared to fly away and find another pond.

But when things are wet and moist, individuals in those situations tend not to grow wings.

They stay put and feed and reproduce, make more water striders.

Well, they must be on the water for food purposes.

Absolutely.

They are predators.

They use their grabbing front legs to capture insects that become trapped on the surface of the water.

And their forelegs are adapted for picking up vibrations of a struggling insect.

Males will also use their forelegs to send out ripples on the surface to let other males know, Hey, this is my territory, stay out.

And to send a come hither to females that might be in the area