WEDNESDAY. JUNE 6. 1962
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON
Small
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' (Rtfliter A Tribune Syndicate, 19821
Hera's Insect That Skates
Over Sutiact of Water
Is
They look for all the world
like a group of crazy spiders
skating on the surface of the
pond. However, if you are
quick enough to catch one of
the agile little creatures you
will notice It has only six
legs, while a spider has eight
This is a "water-stridcr"
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i 1 1 nil m Umum
mm.
and the name fits for they
actually do walk on the wa
ter. Thev .skate over the sur
face like boys skating on ice.
While we are holding the
: little fellow, being careful he
doesn't bite, we see his un
derside is silvery white. An
enemy, looking up from the
deep pond water, has trouble
locating the stridor, his white
under surface more or less
matches the light above.
Brown on Top '
The upper part of the elon
1 gated body is dark brown
" which from above resembles
somewhat the dark water
, The eyes are large. There is
: a pair of elongated forelegs.
; suitable for grasping insects
, on which the strider feeds
The rear legs are long, they
are mostly used as steering
, oars, while the middle pair of
legs are the running gear
Witii these in full motion the
, water strider moves with con
siderable speed.
With the aid of a magnify
ing glass we can see the un
derpart of the body Is cover
ed with fine hairs. These
keep the body from getting
wet. If we have a sufficiently
strong glass and a brightly
colored specimen we may
make a startling discovery.
We may see dozens of tiny,
eight-legged mites crawling
around in the hair. These arc
tiny parasites whose combin
ed numbers give the strider
a distinct and unnatural col
oration. Probably these miles
cause no end of discomfort
to the water stridor, but ap
parently there is no easy way
the insect can free itself from
them.
Carefully we turn our spe
cimen over and drop him or
her back into the waters of
the home-pond. Immediately
he skates away, In a big hur
ry and in a whirling dance
as easily as a crab scurries
over a sandy beach, his fly
ing feet barely dimpling the
surface of the water.
Beady To Grab
As we watch it and the
others skating there, we no
tice they all hold their fore
legs out In front of the body,
ready to grasp any luckless
bug they may overtake. Some
may even leap into the air
a few inches to grab a low
flying midge.
Regardless of how long we
watch these rapidly moving
Insects, we remain fascinat
ed by the ease with which
they walk on the water, their
feet barely dimpling the wa
ter film.
Strange indeed is the life
history of this common insect
that Inhabits freshwater
ponds and streams: stranger
still is the fact there is u
species of water-stridcr that
lives and skates over the sur
face of warm sea water.
Many have been observed,
miles from the nearest shore
gaily skating over the surf
ace of a warm sea.
Bey Scouts
Cold Hill - Cub Master
James Kenncy presented ad
vancements to several Scouts
during a Cub Scout Pack 43
meeting May 23.
The Bob cat induction cere
mony was held for Buddy
Post new Cub Scout In Den 3.
Tommy Carigan received
rtenner bars; Gary Cole, wolf
badge; George Kenncy, wolf
badge and gold arrow; Ken
ncy Wyatt, assistant denncr
bar and lion badge; Luther
Gann, denner bars and bear
badge.
The program was opened by
Cub Scouts of Den 3 with the
pledge, and the audience sing
ing America.
The following skits present
ed by the dens were entitled;
Marching Song, Den 1; Gar
dening We Will Go, Den 2;
"Fun Songs," Den 3.
Lyle McGrady committee
man chairman conducted
brief business session during
which time plans for a pet
show to take place at next
pack meeting were discussed.
The next Pack meeting will
be held Saturday, June 28, at
7:30 p.m. at the multi-purpose
room t Patrick school.
ADVANCED
Robert L. Miller, aviation
electronics techniciai. second
class, USN, son of Mrs. Isa
belle H. Miller, 2252 Fowler
lane, Mcdford, was advanced
1o his rale recently while
serving with Patrol Squadron i
2 at the Whidbey Island Na
val Air illation, Oak Harbor, I
Wash.
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