Editing Gerridae (section)

{{Short description|Family of true bugs}}
{{Distinguish|Gerreidae}}
{{Redirect|Water skipper|the butterfly with this common name|Parnara monasi{{!}}''Parnara monasi''|the tracked vehicle|Snowmobile skipping}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Eocene|Recent}}
| image = {{CSS image crop|Image=Water strider (Gerridae sp).jpg|bSize=260|cWidth=180|cHeight=180|oTop=60|oLeft=20|Location=center}}
| image_caption = Mating in Cyprus
| taxon = Gerridae
| authority = [[William Elford Leach|Leach]], 1815
| subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies<ref name="Schuh">Schuh R.T., Slater J.A. (1995). ''True Bugs of the World (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Classification and Natural History.'' Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, USA. 336 pp.</ref>
| subdivision = * [[Rhagadotarsinae]]
* [[Trepobatinae]]
* [[Halobatinae]]
* [[Ptilomerinae]]
* [[Cylindrostethinae]]
* [[Charmatometrinae]]
* [[Eotrechinae]]
* [[Gerrinae]]
}}
[[File:Water strider (Gerridae sp) nymph.jpg|thumb|nymph in Cyprus]]
[[File:Water strider on Natisone river.jpg|thumb|Walking on water surface; the dark blobs are shadows cast by water disturbances around each of the six legs touching the water.]]

The '''Gerridae''' are a family of insects in the order [[Hemiptera]], commonly known as '''water striders''', '''water skeeters''', '''water scooters''', '''water bugs''', '''pond skaters''', '''water skippers''', '''water gliders''', '''water skimmers''' or '''puddle flies'''. Consistent with the classification of the Gerridae as true bugs (i.e., suborder [[Heteroptera]]), gerrids have mouthparts evolved for piercing and sucking, and distinguish themselves by having the unusual ability to walk on water, making them [[pleuston]] (surface-living) animals. They are anatomically built to transfer their weight to be able to run on top of the water's surface. As a result, one could likely find water striders present in any pond, river, or lake. Over 1,700 species of gerrids have been described, 10% of them being [[Marine (ocean)|marine]].<ref name="Lancaster">{{cite book|editor1=Lancaster, J.B. |editor2=Briers, R. |year=2008 |title=Aquatic insects: challenges to populations |publisher=CABI |pages=23, 270, 284}}</ref>

While 90% of the Gerridae are freshwater bugs, the oceanic ''[[Halobates]]'' makes the family quite exceptional among insects. The genus ''Halobates'' was first heavily studied between 1822 and 1883 when [[Francis Buchanan White]] collected several different species during the [[Challenger Expedition]].<ref name="Cheng">{{cite journal| author=Cheng, L. |year=1985 |title=Biology of Halobates (Heteroptera: Gerridae) |journal=Annual Review of Entomology |volume=30 |issue=1 |doi=10.1146/annurev.en.30.010185.000551 |url=http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/annual-reviews/biology-of-halobates-heteroptera-gerridae-EgLo7c40xc | pages=111–135|s2cid=86774669 }}</ref> Around this time, [[Eschscholtz]] discovered three species of the Gerridae, bringing attention to the species, though little of their biology was known.<ref name="Cheng"/> Since then, the Gerridae have been continuously studied due to their ability to walk on water and unique social characteristics.