Common Pondskater vs Epaulard

Gerris lacustris compared with Orcinus orca

Key Differences

• Common Pondskater is Least Concern while Epaulard is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Pondskater	Epaulard
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (artrópode)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Insecta (inseto)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Hemiptera (Hemiptera)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Gerridae	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Gerris	Orcinus (Orcas)
Species	Gerris lacustris	Orcinus orca

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Pondskater and Epaulard share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Pondskater

LC — Least Concern

Epaulard

DD — Data Deficient

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Unknown ?

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Pondskater	Epaulard
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	8.0 m
Average Weight	—	5.4 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Pondskater

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Epaulard

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

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.

Epaulard

O maior membro da família dos golfinhos, as orcas (Orcinus orca) podem atingir até 9 metros de comprimento e 6 toneladas, sendo encontradas em todos os oceanos, do Ártico ao Antártico. Predadores de topo que vivem em grupos matrilineares com dialetos distintos, estratégias de caça e tradições culturais que diferem entre populações. Algumas populações se especializam em peixes, outras em mamíferos marinhos. Sem predadores naturais, as orcas ocupam o topo de todas as cadeias alimentares marinhas que habitam.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden