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Ok, today at work during a break, I was sitting in my truck and I noticed something very strange trying to climb up my windshield. Upon further investigation.....It was a water skeeter, water skater, what ever you want to call them. The long four legged, thin bodied, water insect.
How did that thing end up on my windshield ?
I have not been near a body of water since Sunday afternoon.
Any answers?
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not so weird, as like many insects they can fly..
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REALLY ??? I have seen those things all my life and never seen wings on them.
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I don't think water skeeters can fly. But they can walk on land, and it probably hitched a ride or something. Or, maybe it was a daddy-long leg spider. They look A LOT like water skeeters.
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"]found this in scientists weekley.. it's 5 years old but i dont think striders have changed that much in 5 years.. [/font][/size]
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"]The water striders (gerris remigis) description is that they move around very quickly. They have six legs and they like to be in little hiding spots. The water strider dose have hair, if you want to see the hair you have to take it out of the water and dry them off. The water strider dose not bite humans. 1/4 - 1/2 inch; long with narrow body; body covered with hairs and dark brown or black in color. Front legs are short to capture food; mid and back legs are long for locomotion on the surface of water. The leg tarsi are covered with fine hairs (hair like setae) that are difficult to wet. Thus the surface tension is very great between the ends of the legs and the water, enabling the insect to "walk on water". Due to this surface tension the striders can be seen making dimples or impressions with the ends of their legs on the water surface. If the hairs become wet due to oil or detergent on the water surface, surface tension is broken and the water strider will sink. Part of adulthood can be spent in a winged stage, enablin igration. [/font][/size]
[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"] Skating on the water. These insects are neat to watch because they can move so quickly on the water. Watch for them in ponds or quiet water ways, especially in the mid-western United States. On the surface of ponds, lakes and streams where they compete with fish. They have to keep moving so they don’t become dinner for the fish themselves.[/font][/size]
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I didn't know fish even tried to eat those. Is there a fly that immitates them?
