Natural England - Stenus longitarsis - Skeetle

Stenus longitarsis - Skeetle

Suggested by Benjamin Waterhouse. 

Runners up

Stenus longitarsis species

Water bullet beetle

Speedy Houdini beetle

This photo is of a very similar species, Stenus aterrimus (c) Christoph Benisch/www.kerbtier.de

A type of camphor beetle that is able to escape predators using natural jet skis.

This little black beetle is no bigger than a grain of rice. It skates on top of water, spreading its legs wide and using the water's surface tension to stop it sinking.  When alarmed, this beetle releases a chemical from its back legs that reduces the water surface tension and allows it to shoot forward using its front feet like skis.  Flexing its abdomen provides steering control and the tiny beetle jets away at a speed of one metre per second!