The Pondskater or water strider is a predatory insect. His long, slender legs allow him to evenly distribute his weight across a wide area, and he takes advantage of surface tension to literally run on water. Striding across the water, he watches for the ripples caused by prey beneath the surface and grabs it, piercing its exoskeleton and sucking out the innards. When hunting for a mate, he communicates using ripples. If another Pondskater is near, he sends out a "repel" signal. If a similar signal is not returned, he knows the other is a female and will send out a courtship signal instead. Should she be a female, and receptive to his advances, he will mount her - and remain there for the entirety of the reproductive season.
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