Dolomedes

Dolomedes is a genus of large spiders in the family Pisauridae. Its species hunt along shorelines and on water, capturing aquatic and terrestrial prey.

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Water surface tension: The cohesive force at a liquid’s surface, which allows it to resist small disturbances and support light objects. It lets these spiders stand and move on water without sinking.
Biomimetics: The design of materials, structures, or systems by drawing on principles found in living organisms. Water-running spiders offer biological models for small machines that move across water.
Dolomedes triton: A North American fishing spider that lives around ponds, marshes, and other freshwater habitats. This widespread species illustrates the genus’s characteristic shoreline hunting.
Orb-weaver spider: A spider that builds a circular prey-capture web from radiating and spiral silk threads. Unlike orb-weavers, Dolomedes generally captures prey directly rather than relying on a capture web.
Surface wave: A disturbance that travels along the boundary between a liquid and another medium. Spiders can detect prey and threats through ripples traveling across water.
Water strider: An insect in the family Gerridae that walks on water using long legs and water-repellent surfaces. Water striders provide a familiar comparison for a spider’s distinct water-surface locomotion.
Dolomedes tenebrosus: A large North American fishing spider often found near water and in wooded habitats. Its size and broad habitat use show that not every member stays at the water’s edge.
Wolf spider: A hunting spider in the family Lycosidae that typically pursues prey on land. Wolf spiders share active hunting but lack the genus’s characteristic water-surface foraging.
Hydrophobicity: The tendency of a material to repel water rather than mix with or absorb it. Water-repellent body surfaces help keep the spiders’ hairs from becoming wetted.
Aquatic ecology: The study of interactions among organisms and their environments in aquatic ecosystems. Fishing spiders link shoreline food webs with prey living in or near water.