In a study by researchers in Florida, the water strider, known for its unique way of moving on water, was filmed in slow motion while water droplets landed on it, in much the same way it would be bombarded during rainfall.
The researchers revealed specific features that help these insects survive heavy rainfall, such as their passive behaviour and the ability to resurface through swimming, in addition to their water repellent, super-hydrophobic nature.
/”When striders are pushed into the water, we observe the formation of an air bubble around the body of the insect, which is attributed to the water repellent nature of its exoskeleton. This air bubble prevents drowning. The water striders are also lightweight. The light weight of water striders allows for their passive transport along craters and jets,/” said Daren Watson, an Assistant Professor at Florida Polytechnic University, and the lead author of the paper /”Water striders are impervious to raindrop collision forces and submerged by collapsing craters/
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