Table 1.

Explanations of the symbols used in the model and present in the main text. Full list of all symbols with descriptions is presented in SI Appendix, Table S11

Explanations of the symbols appearing in the main text
$L=\mathrm{\Delta }{l}_l/l_c$	Downward stroke: dimensionless maximal reach of the average of two midlegs [scaled by the capillary length, $l_c$ (originally used in ref. 19)]
$\mathrm{\Omega }=\omega {\left(l_c/g\right)}^{1/2}$	Dimensionless angular velocity of the average four legs’ rotation of a jump (originally used in ref. 19)
$M=m/(\rho l_c^{2}C{l}_w)$	Dimensionless index of insect body mass with respect to the leg; body mass with respect to maximal water mass can be displaced by the average of four legs (originally used in ref. 19)
$L_m=\mathrm{\Delta }{l}_l/l_c$	Midleg downward stroke; dimensionless maximal reach of the midleg (modified L for midleg only)
${\mathrm{\Omega }}_{\mathrm{m}}={\omega }_e{\left(l_c/g\right)}^{1/2}$	Dimensionless angular velocity of midleg rotation of a jump (modified $\mathrm{\Omega }$ for midleg only)
$M_m=m/(\rho l_c^2{C}_{m0}{l}_m)$	Dimensionless index of insect body mass with respect to the midleg; body mass with respect to maximal water mass can be displaced by the midleg (modified M for midleg only)
$\omega$	Angular velocity of midleg rotation of a jump
${\omega }_e$	Derived angular velocity of midleg rotation of the empirical jump
${\omega }_t$	Hypothetical angular velocity of midleg rotation of the hypothetical jumps (i.e., surface tension jumps of Gigantometra gigas and Ptilomera tigrina; drag-involving jump of Aquarius paludum)
${\omega }_c$	Critical angular velocity of leg rotation; For a given midleg length and body mass, descending midleg can produce a dimple of the critical dimple depth, $h_c$ , with ${\omega }_c$
$D_b$	Duration of dimple breaking
$l_c={[\sigma /(\rho g\left)\right]}^{1/2}$	Capillary length
$\mathrm{\Delta }{l}_l=l_l-y_i$	Maximal downward reach of the midleg
$l_w$	Wetted length of the leg
$l_l$	Entire length of the midleg consisting of femur, tibia, and tarsus
$l_m$	Constant wetted length of midleg (the length of tibia plus tarsus of the midleg)
$y_i$	Initial height of the body center from the undisturbed free surface
$\sigma$	Surface tension coefficient of water
$\rho$	Density of water
$g$	Gravitational acceleration
$m$	Mass of the water strider
$C$	Flexibility factor; function of wetted length of a leg, $l_w$ , and its bending rigidity, $B$
$C_{m0}$	Midleg flexibility factor; function of wetted length of a midleg, $l_m$ , and its bending rigidity, $B$ (bending rigidity is explained in SI Appendix, Table S11).
$E$	Young’s modulus of insect cuticle
$r$	Radius of the wetted midleg as a cylinder
$r_b$	Radius of the wetted midleg as a cylinder surrounded by air bubble