Water strider, also called pond skater or skimmer, any insect of the family Gerridae (order Heteroptera), which numbers about 350 species. Water striders, often seen running or skating in groups over the surface of a pond or stream, are slender, dark coloured, and generally more than 5 mm (0.2 inch) long.
Gerris lacustris (Linnaeus, 1758) Gerris lacustris, commonly known as the common pond skater or common water strider, is a species of water strider, found across Europe.