Gerris gracilicornis is an East Asian water strider, about 1/2 in (11–15 mm) long, that isn't found in the United States. It's best known from a 2010 study showing that, in lab tests, males tap ripples on the water while riding a reluctant female, drawing in underwater predators that attack the female first—pressuring her to mate.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A slender, long-legged water strider with a dark brown to dark reddish-brown thorax and forewings.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- ponds
- rice paddies
- Range
- Native to East Asia, including Korea and Japan. Not found in the U.S.
Behavior
- Diet
- Catches small insects that fall onto the water surface.
- Social life
- The female's genital opening is hidden behind a shield, so a male can't mate unless she cooperates. A mounted male taps his middle legs to send ripple signals. In experiments these ripples attracted predators such as , which caught the female rather than the male, so females often give in sooner.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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