Giant Florida Water Bug

I watched the bug with a microscope to see the antenna.

Giant florida water bug. The giant water bug often found in florida can be poisonous. Giant water bug nymph lethocerus spp. There are about 170 species found in freshwater habitats worldwide with more than 110 in the neotropics more than 20 in africa almost. Unable to hold its breath small breathing tubes called spiracles allow the bug to stay under water while drawing in air trapped under its wings somewhat like a straw.

Some species of waterbug can even grow up to 4 inches 10cm in length. The protrusions were seen by naked eye. Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe biters indian toe biters electric light bugs alligator ticks or alligator fleas in florida. In some genera belostoma and abedus the female deposits her eggs on her mate s back the male giant water bug is tasked with caring for the eggs until they hatch in 1 2 weeks.

These bugs will inject a digestive enzyme into their prey causing their insides to turn to mush. As a result the bug will then suck out the mush. In the wild they dwell in ponds ditches lakes any still or slow moving body of fresh water probably looks good to these bugs. Interesting behaviors of giant water bugs.

Florida has eight species of giant water bug all relatively similar in size and appearance at least to the casual observer. Hence a common nickname for these insects. Buss university of florida. The giant water bug s body is mostly flat and oval shaped with dark brown dead leaf coloring.

Waterbugs live in bodies of water and you may be plagued with them if you have a swimming pool or live near a river stream or pond. Photograph by lyle j. Some common types of waterbugs are the giant water bug back swimmer water scorpion and water boatman. They are the largest insects in the order hemiptera.

The bug that s in my house is a flat soft bodied and a little lumpy shaped similar to a football it has two cylindric protrusions one on each both end for mobility. It is known to play dead in order to escape predators. Oriental cockroaches are a water bug and these bugs can cause you to suffer from food poisoning as well as diarrhea. Mostly giant water bugs tend to stick to the bottoms of freshwater lakes rivers and streams though there have been a few cases of people being bitten in pools.

In the creeks and ponds of the world including america lives an insect that can reach four inches long and bears a pair of giant pincers and a beak for. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about giant water bugs in the way they care for their offspring. Toe biters you might also hear giant water bugs called alligator ticks alligator fleas and electric light bugs.