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Thread: Water Striders / Skimmers

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    NE Gwinnett Co., GA
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    Default Water Striders / Skimmers

    About as early as I can remember I have seen water striders on the ponds and lakes where I have fished, usually hundreds of them. What I don't understand is I have never seen a fish rise to take one. Why, do they taste nasty, or the poisonous or what?
    Want to hear God laugh? Tell him Your plans!!!

  2. #2

    Default

    I'm pretty convinced of two very likely possibilities:

    1) They congregate in water too shallow to hold a fish big enough to eat them and

    2) They can sense a fish nearby.

    However, some species of water skimmers have a peculiar mating ritual. The mail will actually drum the water, threatening a female with death-by-fish if she doesn't scurry off and mate with him. So maybe you and I have just missed the action!
    All men are equal before fish.

    -Herbert Hoover

    Spare Time for Fish

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Default

    I can rule out your No. 1, I have seen them in water several feet deep.
    Want to hear God laugh? Tell him Your plans!!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    South of Houston, Texas
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    "Fish do not appear to be the main predators of water striders, but will in cases of starvation. Scent gland secretions from the thorax are responsible for repelling fish from eating them."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_strider

    specific reference quoted from
    Stonedahl, Lattin. 1982. The Gerridae or Water Striders of Oregon and Washington (Hemiptera:Heteroptera), Oregon State University, Pp 1-36

  5. #5

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    Cool always wondered about that.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Piedmont, S.C.
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    Default

    Good info guys. I have never seen a fish take one either.

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