Water Strider Heather Cervantes Bio/335 June 17, 2013 Dr. Kathleen Ramsey Water Strider The water strider can be found on the top of a pond, lake, river, stream, or almost any body of water around the world. These insects have been compared to Jesus in that they appear to “walk on water.” With several species of water strider in North America alone this species is unique and important to the environment. These tiny insects are less than a ½ inch long and are aquatic. There unique hairs on their legs allow them to skate across the water’s surface. They have three pairs of legs like insects but the backs legs are much longer to aid with steering and the front legs are used for grasping prey. The water strider lays eggs on the edge of water on rocks or aquatic plants. These insects eat other insects no matter if they are dead or alive. They have sucking mouth used to eat either terrestrial insects that have accidentally fallen on the water’s surface or other aquatic insects like mosquito larvae as it comes to the surface (National Wildlife Federation, 1996-2013). There are several factors that can change the stability and growth of this insect’s reproduction and population growth. Abiotic factors like water, temperature, and light can change the population but biotic factors like plants or other organisms can alter it also. If change within an environment happens then change to the organisms within the environment will happen as well (Elzinga, 2004). Abiotic Factors Abiotic factors are non- living components like water, temperature, and light. A rapid increase or decrease in any of these factors would have an effect on this species. Water is important to the water strider population because it is here that it lives and obtains its food. A decrease in water would decrease the population because the chances of terrestrial insects getting caught on the surface would be reduced as well as the amount of mosquitoes larvae developing in it. A reduction in water would lead to a reduction in population and reproduction. If flooding were to occur the water strider would lose the water’s edge therefore losing an adequate environment to place eggs. The water strider is dependent on terrestrial insects as a source of food so a decrease in land would decrease the food supply. Temperature can affect a population of water striders in that an increase in temperature will have an increase in metabolism and in turn an increased population. Insects thrive in warmer temperatures and with an abundance of meals there would be plenty of food to metabolize. If the temperature were to decrease it would have the exact opposite effect. Metabolism would decrease and if the water surface froze the water striders habitat would be lost. Temperature change could also affect the laying and hatching of eggs. Mating seasons are based on when temperatures changes and if temperatures where abnormal the season would be thrown of course, developing a detrimental effect on the population. Plants rely on light to produce food through photosynthesis. The energy created is passed through the ecosystem via herbivorous insects that eat the plants that are then eaten by the water strider. A change in light like a reduction would reduce the amount of energy transferred throughout the ecosystem weakening the rate of reproduction and reducing the population of the water strider ("Biotic And Abiotic Influences On Ecosystems", n.d.). Biotic Factors Biotic factors are those factors that are living. A rapid decrease or increase in these factors could affect the growth and population of water striders also. The water strider is prey for animals both above and below the water’s surface. If there was an increase in the amount of predators this would reduce the population and decrease the amount of off spring produced ultimately decreasing the population. Although a decrease in predators would increase initially the population the overpopulated area would find it fighting for food, mates, and places to lay eggs. This struggle will have a negative effect on the population. Since the water strider depends on aquatic plants and plants along the water’s edge to lay their eggs the decrease in these would decrease the population. If there is not a safe habitat to lay eggs the chances for survival is decreased along with the population. With an over abundance of vegetation the laying of eggs and population would grow. More insects would come to the water’s edge to flourish in the vegetation providing food for the water strider but over population has a negative effect and soon would decrease the population as well ("Biotic And Abiotic Influences On Ecosystem,” n.d.).

Conclusion Balance of abiotic and biotic factors is crucial to the fate of the water strider species within an ecosystem. Like all ecosystem energy and nutrients that pass through via the web cycle and food chain must remain constant and balanced. A slight change in any of these factors can reduce the population. If any of these factors prevent the necessary steps needed to continue the population are prevented or reduced like the laying and hatching of eggs, the growth of the off spring, or even the finding of a mate the species population would be reduced. Even in increase in these factors can be detrimental to species survival. All things living or non-living are dependent on each other within an ecosystem. In order for the water strider to continue to exist it relies on the right amount of predators to control the population, plants to draw food and provide a safe environment for reproduction, temperature to help with metabolism and the mating season, light for the transfer of energy, and finally water for their habitat.

References Biotic and Abiotic Influences on Ecosystems. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://rochels.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/7/6/10768381/chapter_2.7.pdf Elzinga, R.J. (2004). Fundamentals of entomology (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. National Wildlife Federation. (1996-2013). Water Strider. Retrieved from http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Invertebrates/Water-Strider.aspx