Common Pondskater vs Little Pondskater

Gerris lacustris compared with Gerris argentatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Pondskater	Little Pondskater
Kingdom same	Animalia (حيوانات)	Animalia (حيوانات)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (مفصليات الأرجل)	Arthropoda (مفصليات الأرجل)
Class same	Insecta (حشرات)	Insecta (حشرات)
Order same	Hemiptera (نصفيات الأجنحة)	Hemiptera (نصفيات الأجنحة)
Family same	Gerridae	Gerridae
Genus same	Gerris	Gerris
Species	Gerris lacustris	Gerris argentatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Pondskater and Little Pondskater share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Gerris.

Conservation Status

Common Pondskater

LC — Least Concern

Little Pondskater

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Pondskater	Little Pondskater
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Pondskater

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Little Pondskater

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Pondskater

<em>Gerris lacustris</em>, the common pondskater, is an aquatic insect in the family Gerridae, well known for its remarkable ability to walk and skate across the surface of still or slow-moving freshwater bodies using surface tension. Microscopic water-repellent hairs on its legs trap air and prevent the insect from breaking the water film, allowing it to detect vibrations from struggling prey and move rapidly across the water surface. The species is a predator and scavenger, typically feeding on small invertebrates, including other insects, that fall onto or become trapped at the water surface. <em>Gerris lacustris</em> is distributed across Europe, with confirmed records from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and is among the most commonly encountered water striders in temperate European ponds, lakes, and slow-flowing rivers. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting widespread abundance and absence of major conservation threats. The species overwinters as an adult in terrestrial habitats and returns to water in spring. Biological traits such as average adult lifespan, precise body dimensions, body mass, and detailed dietary composition remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Adults are capable of flight and can colonise new water bodies effectively.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden