Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
marsh treader
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quizzes
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz
Green tree python snake (Chondropython viridis) in a rainforest.
Creepy Crawlers Quiz
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024
Animal Factoids
Quick Facts
Also called:
water measurer
Related Topics:
Amphibicorisae
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

marsh treader

insect
Also known as: Hydrometridae, water measurer
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

marsh treader, any insect of the family Hydrometridae (order Heteroptera), so named because of its slow, deliberate manner of moving as it walks along the surface of a pond or crawls among shore vegetation. Marsh treaders, worldwide in distribution, are usually found among the cattails in marshy ponds containing algae. More than 100 species of the insect have been described.

The marsh treader, about 8 mm (0.3 inch) long, is recognized by its sticklike body and long, thin, threadlike legs. Its slender head is almost as long as the thorax, and the antennae, extending in front of the head, resemble another pair of legs. The body is covered with fine, velvety hairs. Marsh treaders feed on small crustaceans and insect larvae, especially mosquito larvae.

The female lays beautifully sculptured eggs and glues each one to a plant just above the water line. Each egg is about one fourth the length of the female.

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Britannica Quiz
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz