Lethocerus Americanus on:
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''Lethocerus americanus'' is a
Commonly found in ponds, marshes, and on the edges of lakes and slow-moving streams, and creeks, adults and larvae feed on other insects, small crustaceans (crabs/crayfish), tadpoles, snails, and small fish. The adult swims with the aid of its hind legs. A pair of front fore limbs is used for capturing and latching onto its intended prey, which it then injects with digestive toxins through a somewhat retractable proboscis much like that of a mosquito. ''L. americanus'' tends to let its prey digest for 10–15 minutes before eating. Multiple ''L. americanus'' bugs have been seen to hunt and then share the same prey animal. Under water, the adult breathes air that it traps under its wings using two snorkel-like tubes that extend from the rear of its abdomen.
Commonly known as "toe biter", ''L. americanus'' may deliver a painful bite if handled or disturbed. However, it prefers to avoid humans rather than engage them whenever possible. If disturbed in the water, the speed of ''L. americanus'' allows it to quickly break away while its natural camouflage easily conceals it. Even if agitated on dry land, ''L. americanus'' will first attempt to escape or play dead before raising its fore limbs and hind quarters in what resembles a fighting stance. If agitation continues, ''L. americanus'' will use its fore limbs to latch onto the source of the agitation and attempt to deliver a painful bite. Also known as the "electric-light bug", it may be attracted by electric lights while flying at night. ''L. americanus'' is differentiated from a similar insect, '' Benacus griseus'', by grooves found on its fore femora to accommodate the tibiae when folded tightly; ''L. americanus'' is very similar to '' L. uhleri''.
Eggs are laid on vegetation located at the water's edge and may be guarded by an adult. The young The Giant Water Bug (''Lethocerus americanus'')
Nature North Adult females will alternate between feeding and mating, laying about 150 or more eggs in their lifetime. However, few nymphs survive to maturity due to cannibalism and other predators. Adults die over winter.
giant water bug
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). They are the largest insects in the ord ...
in the family Belostomatidae
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). They are the largest insects in the or ...
, native to southern Canada and the United States (north of 35°N; other ''Lethocerus
''Lethocerus'' is a genus of the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, known colloquially as giant water bugs, toe biters and electric light bugs, distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas of the world. The greatest diversity of speci ...
'' species are found southwards). It typically has a length around .P. J. Perez-Goodwyn (2006). ''Taxonomic revision of the subfamily Lethocerinae Lauck & Menke (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae)". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde.'' A (Biologie) 695: 1–71. It was originally classified as a species in genus '' Belostoma''.
Habits
Commonly found in ponds, marshes, and on the edges of lakes and slow-moving streams, and creeks, adults and larvae feed on other insects, small crustaceans (crabs/crayfish), tadpoles, snails, and small fish. The adult swims with the aid of its hind legs. A pair of front fore limbs is used for capturing and latching onto its intended prey, which it then injects with digestive toxins through a somewhat retractable proboscis much like that of a mosquito. ''L. americanus'' tends to let its prey digest for 10–15 minutes before eating. Multiple ''L. americanus'' bugs have been seen to hunt and then share the same prey animal. Under water, the adult breathes air that it traps under its wings using two snorkel-like tubes that extend from the rear of its abdomen.
Commonly known as "toe biter", ''L. americanus'' may deliver a painful bite if handled or disturbed. However, it prefers to avoid humans rather than engage them whenever possible. If disturbed in the water, the speed of ''L. americanus'' allows it to quickly break away while its natural camouflage easily conceals it. Even if agitated on dry land, ''L. americanus'' will first attempt to escape or play dead before raising its fore limbs and hind quarters in what resembles a fighting stance. If agitation continues, ''L. americanus'' will use its fore limbs to latch onto the source of the agitation and attempt to deliver a painful bite. Also known as the "electric-light bug", it may be attracted by electric lights while flying at night. ''L. americanus'' is differentiated from a similar insect, '' Benacus griseus'', by grooves found on its fore femora to accommodate the tibiae when folded tightly; ''L. americanus'' is very similar to '' L. uhleri''.
Eggs are laid on vegetation located at the water's edge and may be guarded by an adult. The young nymph
A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label= Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...
s then hatch about two weeks later.Nature North
References
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3236905 Insects described in 1847 Belostomatidae Insects of Canada Insects of the United States