Common Water Strider

Gerris swakopensis · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Gerridae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Common Water Strider
Photo: i_c_riddell (https://www.inaturalist.org/people/i_c_riddell), CC BY

This insect is also called a pond skater or water strider. It is native to the Afrotropical region.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It is an aquatic bug found in standing freshwater habitats like ponds, pools, and stream backwaters.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Gerris swakopensis is an Afrotropical species.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Common Water Strider photo 3
Photo: Henry de Lange, CC BY
Common Water Strider photo 4
Photo: Alandmanson, CC BY

Questions people ask

What other names does the common water strider have?

It is also known as a pond skater or water strider.

Source: Wikipedia

What region is the common water strider native to?

It is native to the Afrotropical region.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Gerridae)

North American Common Water StriderNorth American Common Water StriderAquarius remigisLake pondskaterLake pondskaterAquarius paludumRiver SkaterRiver SkaterAquarius najas

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerris_swakopensis

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

How this page works

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