AiF at Dacha No. 11. From the garden to the table. Cooking desserts with strawberries 06/14/2022
In summer, on the surface of a river or a small puddle, you can find insects that deftly glide along the water surface, like skaters on ice. These are water striders. What helps them not sink?
The life of water striders is closely connected with a reservoir. Here they feed and lay their eggs, they go out to land only in autumn to find a secluded corner not far from a lake or a river and settle down there for wintering. Insects spend the cold months under the bark of an old stump or in dry moss. height=”425″ width=”640″ style=”display: block;” />
Water strider. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Water Striders — bugs that live in rivers and lakes are devoid of wings, and those that live in streams and puddles can fly, because they have to look for a new “place of residence” if the former dries up.
< p> The way of movement of water striders is very unusual. The legs of these insects are long, thin, they are equipped with numerous villi covered with fat. Thanks to them and there is a slight gliding on the surface of the water: insects seem to roll on ice.
The entire body and legs of the water strider are covered with thick hairs, which are surrounded by air bubbles. This feature allows the insect not to drown, even if it is deliberately slightly submerged under water.
Most water striders — predators, their food base includes small insects, sometimes they attack fish fry. Surprisingly, these insects subtly feel the slightest fluctuations in the water when something falls on its surface. At the same time, the water strider determines exactly what caused this movement of water: if it was disturbed by a fallen leaf, twig or other object that cannot be eaten, it will continue its measured rolling along the mirror of a lake or puddle.
A  ;here, the vibration of water caused by an edible object serves as a signal to attack. As soon as a mosquito lands on the surface of the water, all the water striders rush to it, “walking” along the river or lake, and arrange a real brawl in the struggle for food. The winner of the fight is always the strongest — this is the biological law of nature.
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