Final answer:
Insects that swim on pond surfaces, like water striders, use camouflage as a defense principle and rely on surface tension to stand on water. They may also use mimicry, like Batesian mimicry, to appear like a more dangerous species.
Step-by-step explanation:
These insects can stand on water due to surface tension, which allows them to remain above the water without sinking. Surface tension occurs because the force exerted by the water striders downwards is less than the cohesive forces among the water molecules themselves. Besides camouflage, some insects also employ mimicry as a defense mechanism. In the case of Batesian mimicry, a harmless species might imitate the warning coloration of harmful species like wasps or bees to discourage predation by sharing the same predators.