Bug Photo: The Common Water Slider

This bug fools a lot of people because it looks like a mosquito.

The Common Water Slider (Gerris remigis) doesn't have wings.  It can't fly.

But, they walk on water and eat mosquitos so, you should make friends with them.

A website, Study of Northern Virginia Ecology, can teach you more about them than I ever could.

While researching this insect I found all kinds of bugs at the University of California.

If you ever get stuck with a bug, you can't identify, checkout their photo collection.

Wikipedia people might give you some information overload if you look at these bugs over there.

When I read what they had to say about Gerris remigis:

......"The most consistent characteristic used to separate these two families are internal genitalia differences. Since internal genitalia require specific training and tools to identify, it is almost impossible to tell a member of the Gerridae apart from a member of the Veliidae by external visual cues.".....

.....it suddenly dawned on me, I don't want to become a bug scientist.

The folks at the University of California and Northern Virginia are good enough for me !