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A freshwater spider (Dolomedes) runs along the water's surface, leaving vortices behind its four pairs of stroking legs. In this National Science Foundation-supported project, dye studies were performed in order to determine what the propulsion mechanism is of the water strider (Gerris remigis), a common water-walking insect, approximately 1 centimeter long that resides on the surface of ponds, rivers and the open ocean.
Image credit: Courtesy John Bush, MIT
