Water striders or pond skaters dart around on the water surface where they capture insects with their short front legs. The middle and back pair of legs are long for moving on the water surface, and the body is flattened. They are a half to three-quarters inches long.

Courting and mating pairs communicate by ripples on the watersurface.

In this photograph, the shadow shows that the insect's body is raised above the water. There is reduced iron on the water surface (see Wetland Indicators in the Wetland Data section).