Giant Florida Water Bug

Giant water bug nymph lethocerus spp.

Giant florida water bug. As a result the bug will then suck out the mush. The giant water bug often found in florida can be poisonous. 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. Some common types of waterbugs are the giant water bug back swimmer water scorpion and water boatman.

It is known to play dead in order to escape predators. Hence a common nickname for these insects. 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.

Some species of waterbug can even grow up to 4 inches 10cm in length. Photograph by lyle j. Interesting behaviors of giant water bugs. The giant water bug s body is mostly flat and oval shaped with dark brown dead leaf coloring.

I watched the bug with a microscope to see the antenna. Toe biters you might also hear giant water bugs called alligator ticks alligator fleas and electric light bugs. Buss university of florida. They are the largest insects in the order hemiptera.

Key to species of florida belostomatidae back to top seven genera and approximately 60 species occur worldwide with three genera and approximately 20 species found in north america. 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. Also it appears to have one antenna at the right end to help turn it. 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.

In the wild they dwell in ponds ditches lakes any still or slow moving body of fresh water probably looks good to these bugs. 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. The attack of the giant water bug. Oriental cockroaches are a water bug and these bugs can cause you to suffer from food poisoning as well as diarrhea.

Florida has eight species of giant water bug all relatively similar in size and appearance at least to the casual observer. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about giant water bugs in the way they care for their offspring. 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.