Stenus colon

Say, 1831

Stenus colon is a of in the , commonly referred to as a water skater due to its association with moist . It was described by Thomas Say in 1831 and occurs across eastern and central North America. The species belongs to the large Stenus, which contains over 3,000 described species worldwide, many of which are semi-aquatic or inhabit wet environments.

Stenus colon by (c) Neal Kelso, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Neal Kelso. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stenus colon: /ˈste.nus ˈko.lɔn/

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Habitat

Associated with moist or wet environments, consistent with the semi-aquatic habits typical of many Stenus .

Distribution

North America: Canada (Ontario) and United States (Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia).

More Details

Taxonomic note

Catalogue of Life lists Stenus colon as a synonym, though GBIF and iNaturalist treat it as an accepted . The taxonomic status may require verification.

Genus characteristics

Members of Stenus possess pygidial glands that eject secretions for defense and, in some , for capturing . Many species in this are known for their ability to skate on water surfaces using these secretions to reduce surface tension.