Pond Skater

I've been playing ponds in the garden. The duck weed was beginning to get out of control and the weeds underneath needed some thinning . I carefully pulled it out making sure that there wasn't anything trapped and have laid it all by the waters edge so that any life remaining in it has a chance to get back into it's home environment.

I'm so pleased with it. I haven't taken out any of the curly Elodea Crispa or the water forget me nots as Newts love to lay their eggs on them. I counted 6, all visible at one time, Palmate and Smooth. I might go out tonight with a lamp and try to get a photo. I felt I'd upset them enough for one day and avoided chasing them around.

This is one of the Pond skaters, Gerris lacustris, which are really happy now the have some surface to skim on. They're predatory and catch any insect that accidentally lands on the water surface.

Their entire body is covered with waxy hairs that enable them to repel water and to use the surface tension as their walk way. Pond Skaters can move very fast, at one and a half metres per second, and make amazing leaps to avoid their predators.
Their three pairs of legs are unique. The front pair are designed for catching prey and holding it to their mouth, the end pair serve as rudders to control direction and the elongated middle pair are oars to propel them over the surface and their springs when they have to jump.

I liked this image of this Pond Skater best, with the little aphids that inhabit the duckweed floating beside it on their little island and a thistle seed to keep them company.