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Nature 424, 621-622 (7 August 2003) | doi:10.1038/424621a

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Animal locomotion: How to walk on water

Michael Dickinson1

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How the short legs of juvenile water striders propel the insects across water has perplexed researchers. It now appears that walking on water shares features with the locomotion of birds, insects and fish.

A glance at the surface of a pond reveals one of the more delightful images of summer: the shimmering ripples made by the graceful strokes of water striders. Water striders are insects that are adapted for locomotion and foraging on top of still water.

  1. Michael Dickinson is in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
    Email: flyman@its.caltech.edu