Aquarius remigis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Aquarius remigis, known as the common water strider or North American common water strider, is a species of aquatic bug. It was formerly known as Gerris remigis, but the subgenus Aquarius was elevated to generic rank in 1990 on the basis of phylogenetic analysis. Aquarius remigis is found throughout North America, but is most prevalent in the mid-west of the United States.
Aquarius remigis grows slightly longer than.5 inches, and is dark brown to black. It has a sharp rostrum that it uses to pierce the body of its prey and suck out the insides. They normally continue to move to avoid being eaten by predators. It has good vision, and can row quickly over the surface of the water. It uses its front legs to seize its prey.
During breeding season, this species can communicate with potential mates by sending ripples over on the surface of the water. Adult females normally lay their eggs on plant stems at the water's edge. This predatory species feeds on mosquito larvae living under the surface, and dead insects on the surface, and other insects that accidentally land on the water.
Fairbairn, D. J. 1985.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 16 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a North American Common Water Strider sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 70th most-seen of the 256 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May and August–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a North American Common Water Strider in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in June–July and October–March, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most North American Common Water Strider sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 20 cities where we can rate North American Common Water Strider sightings, Calgary ranks 5th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Vancouver (Canada, about 10%), San Francisco (United States, about 10%) and Toronto (Canada, about 10%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the North American Common Water Strider that you can see in Calgary (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Eastern Boxelder Bug (about 20%), Green Burgundy Stink Bug (about 10%) and Twice-Stabbed Stink Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the North American Common Water Strider is recorded against all the insects logged in Calgary (46 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
