Water strider Coloring Pages

Insects that walk on water

Water striders are insects that live on top of the water in ponds, rice fields, and slow-moving streams.
They do not sink. They slide and glide smoothly across the surface of the water.
The Water strider in this coloring page is the type you see most often in Japan. Its body is about 11 to 16 millimeters long.
You might even see them show up in puddles after it rains!

Six legs with different lengths

Water striders are insects, so they have six legs.
Let's count the legs on the first coloring page, which shows the view from above!
The two short legs near the front of the head are the front legs. The two long legs spreading out wide to the sides are the middle legs. The two long legs stretching behind are the back legs.
The two thin parts coming out from the tip of the head are not legs. They are antennae!

Each pair of legs has a different job

A Water strider's legs all do different jobs.
The middle legs act like boat oars. They push against the water to send the Water strider forward.
The back legs work like a rudder to change direction.
The short front legs are used to catch and hold onto prey.

Why don't they sink?

The tips of a Water strider's legs are covered with tiny hair that pushes water away.
The top of the water acts like a thin, tight sheet. This force is called surface tension.
Thanks to its water-repelling legs and light body, the Water strider can stay right on top of the water.
The water surface directly under the Water strider's feet dips down just a tiny bit from the pressure.

They eat insects that fall into the water

Water striders eat small insects that fall onto the water.
When an insect falls, ripples spread across the water. The Water strider feels these ripples with its legs and rushes over fast.
It pokes its needle-like mouth into the prey and drinks the juices inside.
On the second coloring page, which shows the side view, you can see how its long legs hold its body up off the water!

Let's compare the top and side views

The first page shows how a Water strider looks when you look down at a pond from above.
By spreading its long legs out wide, it scatters its body weight across a large area. This keeps it from sinking!
When you look at the second page, you can see that its body does not touch the water at all. It is standing on just the tips of its legs!
You can spot Water striders from spring through autumn. They spend the winter as grown adults.

The body is dark brown or dark gray

The back of the Water strider's body is a blackish dark brown.
If you color it with dark brown or dark gray and make it a bit lighter at the edges, its long, thin body will look 3D.
The sides and belly are a silvery white, so leave them white or color them with light gray.

Color the long, thin legs slowly

The Water strider's legs are very thin and long.
Sharpen your colored pencil, and color bit by bit from joint to joint.
If you color the legs a brown that is a little lighter than the body, the difference will stand out nicely.

Make the big eyes stand out

Color the round eyes on the sides of the head with dark brown or black.
If you leave a small white dot, the eyes will look shiny.
It is good to color the antennas on the tip of the head with the same color as the legs.

Try adding the water surface

When you finish coloring, color around it with light blue to make the water surface.
If you draw small round ripples at the tips of the 6 legs, it will look like it is floating on the water.
It is also fun to draw lotus leaves or flower petals that fell into the water.

Use the lines of the wings on its back

On the first picture, the lines of the folded wings are drawn on its back.
If you color along the lines using dark brown and light brown, it will look like the wings are overlapping.
If you mix a little yellow-ochre on the back of the chest, it will look closer to the real color.

Its name comes from the smell of candy

When you catch a Water strider, it gives off a sweet smell like candy.
Because its body is long and thin like a stick, people started calling it "candy stick," which is how it got its Japanese name.
So its name comes from sweet candy you lick, not the rain that falls from the sky!

It is actually related to stink bugs

The Water strider is a relative of stink bugs and cicadas.
They are the same because they use needle-like mouths to suck juice from their prey.
Giving off a smell is another way it is like a stink bug.

It has wings and can fly

A Water strider has wings folded on its back.
It can spread its wings and fly to move to another pond or puddle.
When you see a Water strider in a brand-new puddle, it is because it flew there!

It uses waves to talk to friends

A Water strider taps the water's surface with its legs to make tiny waves.
It uses these waves to tell friends where it is, and males use them to send signals to females.

If the water gets dirty, it will sink

If soap or detergent gets into the water, the water's surface gets weaker and cannot hold things up as well.
When that happens, the Water strider cannot float on the water anymore.
Water striders cannot live in water that has detergent in it.