Editing Gerridae (section)

===Appendages===
Gerridae have front, middle, and back legs. The front legs are shortest and have preapical claws adapted to puncture prey. Preapical claws are claws that are not at the end of the leg, but rather halfway through, like [[mantises]]. The middle legs are longer than the first pair and shorter than the last pair and are adapted for propulsion through the water. The hind pair is the longest and is used for spreading weight over a large surface area, as well as steering the bug across the surface of the water. The front legs are attached just posterior to the eyes, while the middle legs are attached closer to the back legs which attach midthorax but extend beyond the terminal end of the body.<ref name="Merrit"/>