Bedbugs belong to the order Hemiptera; among its representatives there are families that live in water and on land. In the tropical latitudes of Asia and America, a water bug of gigantic size is found. Adults reach 15 cm in length. This is a merciless predator that attacks young fish, frogs, snakes and turtles. The insect's impressive size and forelimbs, curved in the shape of ticks, give the insect a terrifying appearance. Water bugs living in Russian ponds are significantly smaller in size. But they are no less aggressive predators, attacking larvae, crustaceans and fry.
Variety of water bugs
Representatives of the order Hemiptera have mastered not only the land, but also the water surface. In the still waters of a lake or swamp, you can see insects deftly sliding along the surface. This water strider is one of the representatives of the water bug family. His characteristic feature– long legs covered with microscopic hairs, and an elongated body. There are wingless and winged individuals. Larvae serve as food for them. Insects are widespread. They can be seen not only in large bodies of water, but also in puddles.
The water strider is one of the representatives of the water bug family
Gladysh is also a typical inhabitant of reservoirs. He is an excellent swimmer who has mastered a special technique - backstroke. Its stability on water is ensured by its special body structure and powerful hind limbs. The ability to breathe is provided by a small air bubble attached to the abdomen. The bug actively searches for food; it eats eggs, larvae, tadpoles and insects. Smooth size – 15 mm. The insect's back is colored light gray color, and the abdomen is brownish.
This is camouflage that allows you to remain invisible to ducks and other waterfowl. The bug does not attack humans, but if threatened, it bites. The pain is comparable to a wasp sting.
Information. If the food supply in the reservoir runs out, the smooth fish flies to another habitat.
Greblyak is a small water bug that lives in temperate climate. When diving, it retains a supply of air under its elytra. The paddlefish is a predator; its diet consists of eggs and hatched larvae. The insect has a special musical apparatus; when the teeth on the leg segment are rubbed, it produces a chirping sound. Small insects often become victims of larger predatory relatives.
Appearance of belostomy
Close relatives of smoothies are representatives of the Belostomatidae family. The giant water bug is 10 times larger than the usual inhabitants of Russian lakes. The length of its body is 15 cm. The shape of the body is flat and elongated, this helps to move through the water. The mouthparts are of the piercing-sucking type, traditional for this family. The proboscis is attached to the front of the head. The short, curved organ resembles a beak. The eyes are large, reticulated, and the antennae are segmented. Body color is dark or light brown.
The front wings of bedbugs are half-hard and leathery. The hind ones are transparent, thin, shorter than the front ones. IN calm state they are folded and cover the abdomen. During periods of drought, white stomas leave the ponds and fly in search of a new home. The body of bedbugs is protected by a chitinous covering. The hind legs are designed for swimming; they are covered with hairs that increase the raking surface. The forelimbs are shorter and more powerful than the rest. They end in a claw. This structure provides the ability to grab and hold prey during the insertion of the proboscis. At the end of the insect's abdomen there are two breathing tubes. Organ small size does not allow for a large supply of air. To inhale oxygen, bedbugs have to raise the back of their body above the water.
Habitats
Giant insects prefer shallow bodies of water with standing water or weak currents. The water warms up well and there is a lot of vegetation and inhabitants. Belostom can be found in South and East Asia, Japan, South America, North Africa and Far East. They live in fresh water, sometimes carried by channels to the sea coast. In Japan, water bugs live on rice fields. Florida residents gave them the nickname "Alligator Ticks."
Information. A large number of predatory belostomas harm fish farming. Water bugs eat the fry.
Lifestyle
Belostoma is a predator, its diet includes reptiles, fish, insects - everything that it can catch and kill. Even though insects breathe air, they spend most of their lives underwater. The bug prefers to hunt from ambush in shallow water. It lies in wait for its prey, hiding among stones or plants. The dark body perfectly camouflages the predator. The giant sits patiently, waiting for prey to swim by.
Sensitive elements on the paws allow you to sense its approach. The insect quickly catches the victim with its claw-like forelimbs. The skin of the prey is pierced with a proboscis, through which a paralyzing substance is injected, stopping resistance. Then a gastric enzyme is injected, which dilutes internal organs. After some time, the bug sucks out the contents of the victim’s body.
Information. In Japan for a long time they didn’t know who was destroying three-keeled turtles, leaving the shell intact. The observation of a giant water bug provided a solution to this mystery.
Insects spend the winter on land. It hibernates under bark and foliage, in the crevices of stumps and trees. A state of suspended animation helps to survive the cold and lack of food, in which all life processes slow down as much as possible. In the spring, after the air and water temperatures rise, they wake up. Hungry bugs begin to actively feed. It's breeding season for insects.
Hunting for giants
Belost is attracted to electric light; at night, bugs fly to burning lighting. This property is used by insect catchers. At night, they set traps and turn on flashlights. In Southeast Asia, giant bedbugs are deep-fried and sold in markets. This dish, reminiscent of shrimp in taste, is served in restaurants in Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and China. Due to mass catching, the number of insects in some regions has dropped to critical levels.
If threatened, the belostoma water bug freezes, pretending to be dead. From the anus it releases an unpleasant-smelling liquid that scares away enemies.
The mating season occurs in spring. Males attract the opposite sex with pheromones. After fertilization, the female lays eggs on her partner's back. Over the course of several days, she uses a sticky secretion to glue about 100 eggs onto its elytra. The maturation period of embryos lasts about two weeks. Hemipteran insects are characterized by incomplete metamorphosis. They go through three stages: egg, nymph, adult.
The larval stage of bedbugs is called a nymph. During this period, the offspring look like adults, but are small in size. Belostomas emerge from eggs with a soft transparent body. Their cover will harden and become colored in a few hours. From the first days, nymphs actively feed. Their diet consists of crustaceans and insect larvae. Nutrients they need for growth and molting. Before reaching sexual maturity, nymphs shed their chitinous shell several times, which has become cramped for them. at this stage. Each time, the larva’s body grows, genital organs form, and wings appear. It takes about a month for a water bug larva to develop into an adult.
Caring for offspring
The male Belostoma shows parental care for future offspring. He not only carries the eggs, but also monitors their full development. Every day the bug comes to the surface to air baths, enriching with oxygen and preventing the appearance of fungi. While in the lake, the male circulates the water by rotating his hind limbs. This manipulation promotes uniform distribution of air between the rows of eggs.
While caring for the offspring, the male cannot hunt and almost stops feeding. It is vulnerable to other predators, so it leads a secretive lifestyle. Towards the end of the breeding season, the number of males decreases sharply. But the survival rate of eggs is high.
Assault on a person
The sight of a large insect with powerful pincers can cause panic in a swimmer, but do not be too frightened. They usually match the size of their prey, so attacking a person water bugs they won't. However, Belostoma bites on the fingers and toes are not excluded. This happens if you step on an insect or grab it with your hands. Curious children often become victims of bites. The injected enzyme is not dangerous to human health, but the wound causes concern for several days. The introduced substance prevents overgrowth of the skin.
Often, collisions between a giant bug and a person occur on land. This happens during the migration of insects from one body of water to another. In spring and autumn, at night, hundreds of Belostomas leave for a new place of residence or wintering. The flight of giants is an impressive sight, but it is better to admire it from a distance.
Waterbugs are part of the natural food chain. Predators that eat fish seem like pests to people. But they also kill insect larvae, limiting mosquito numbers. In Asian countries giant belostomy They eat amphibians that damage rice crops. As a result of uncontrolled fishing in Japan, one of the Belostomatidae species is listed in the Red Book.
Water bugs are inhabitants of quiet bodies of water with standing or slowly moving water. flowing water. They live all over the world. Predators hunt weaker insects with which they live next to. Some fly well, others only swim and crawl. All have a chitinous cover.
Why are they needed?
Water bugs regulate the prevalence of individual small insects. Most inhabitants of mid-latitudes hunt mosquito larvae, reducing their population. Aquatic “hunters” are most active in the summer and spend most of their time in the water.
They reproduce by eggs, which become larvae, then nymphs (young individuals), and adult insects. Behind summer season their population increases hundreds of times. Water bugs are prey for larger individuals, birds, and fish. Some spend the winter falling into suspended animation.
All aquatic representatives are considered safe for humans and do not attack. If disturbed, they may bite. The bite of any bug is painful; it’s not for nothing that some of their species are called “water wasps.” The bite is accompanied by the introduction of protein structures - digestive enzymes. For this reason, the wound on the skin where the bite was taken does not heal for a long time.
Such different quantities, behavior
Water bugs range in size from a few millimeters to 15-17 cm. The largest individuals of water bugs live in tropical conditions. There are several types of them:
- water striders;
- smoothysh (smooth bug);
- rowers;
- giant (belostoma).
Let's consider the behavior of these representatives.
The water strider is a bug with about 700 representatives different sizes, forms. It looks like a wingless dragonfly, a little more than a centimeter in size, which has mastered the expanse of water. Some water striders can fly and move to find new habitats and wintering grounds. They feed on small larvae of other insects; they themselves can be victims of larger bugs and birds. The largest representatives of water striders live in the tropics, their bite is noticeable, and there is a danger of an allergic reaction to the bite.
The smoothie bug lives up to its interesting name appearance. He has smooth surface torso. It’s even more interesting to watch when the smooth bug is hunting. It turns over on its back in the water and watches its prey at the surface of the reservoir. It attacks larvae, curious fry, darting around the very surface of the water. It bites its victim, sucks out its entrails; the bite is not dangerous for humans.
It can live not only in bodies of water, among which it prefers ponds and lakes. Gladysh can be found in a garden barrel next to a person. With the help of its proboscis and limbs it makes interesting sounds, similar to the chirping of a grasshopper. It is believed that the smoothie is safe, but if you take it with your hands, it will bite painfully. It’s not for nothing that they call it the “water bee.” The danger of a bite is the possibility of developing allergies and suppuration of the wound.
The greblyak is a water bug, similar to the smooth one, but swims with its back up. The rower moves much more energetically due to its long legs, which it swings like oars. The greblyak can fly, likes to change hunting places in dark time days.
The peculiarity of this behavior is that it can often be seen near human habitation, the rower flies towards the light. While hunting in water, the paddlefish replenishes its supply of oxygen through a breathing tube located in the front of the body. This distinguishes it from the smoothie, which “breathes” through a tube in the tail of the body. The comb attacks larvae and fry of fish, itself measuring up to 17 mm.
Its bite is accompanied by the injection of enzymes into the larva, which it firmly holds with its front paws. Like all water bugs, the paddlefish feeds on the digested contents of its prey. The paddlefish itself is a frequent prey for birds, its larger relatives. The danger to humans is similar to smoothie.
A giant water bug of a terrifying name and species. The largest insect in the world, reaches a length of 15-17 cm. Most representatives of this species are inhabitants northern regions Africa, South America. There are subspecies living in the Far East that spend the winter on stumps and animal burrows, hibernating.
He needs much more food than his other “brothers”. It attacks living creatures around it and can fly. The victims of such a giant are large inhabitants of reservoirs:
- frogs;
- lizards;
- turtles.
Its behavior is interesting because it emits an unpleasant odor. Having noticed a person, he freezes and does not move. May bite if handled. Selects bite sites on fingers and toes. Wounds after bites do not heal for a long time, are very painful, and are dangerous due to suppuration.
One can note the unusual attitude towards the offspring of this giant. The female lays eggs on the male's back successively for almost a month. “Dad” carries the precious cargo for two weeks, resembling a hedgehog in appearance, and takes care of the offspring. Among the Japanese, the white bug is a symbol of fatherly love.
Water bugs are a heterogeneous group of insects in size and behavior. They live close to humans. The danger of these insects is limited to bites that cause allergies and suppuration of wounds.
We usually associate the word “bug” with a domestic pest. However, there are other representatives of the bedbug family living in the wild. For example, the giant water bug - belostoma.
Giant water bug
Water bugs Belostoma or Belostomatidae (from Latin name family Belostomatidae) belong to the order of hemiptera. There are about 140 species of belostoma. There are few of them left on Russian territory; Currently, most of these bugs live in hot regions. Giant water bugs live in not very deep bodies of water - ponds, lakes, and less often in rivers and streams. They can also live in sea water, close to the shore. Those species that have adapted to the cold (for example, those living in the Far East) survive the winter under the ice, buried in silt.
Giant water bugs can attack small snakes
Giant water bugs feed on fish, insects, crustaceans, and amphibians; They can even attack animals that are slightly larger than them.
In Japan, attacks by a 15-centimeter white turtle on a 17-centimeter turtle have been recorded.
Appearance and structure
The size of an adult belostoma is 10–12 cm, and some individuals are 15 cm long. Torso dark colors, with patterns on the back.
This insect has a streamlined body and 6 legs that act as oars when the bug swims. The hairs, growing densely along the outer edge of the limbs, rise during strokes, increasing the surface of contact with the water. There are also dark spots on the legs - sensory organs that determine the depth and vibrations of water.
The structure of belostoma allows them to move easily in water The forelimbs of the whitefish are thick, curved forward; they resemble crayfish claws. At the ends there are hooks with which bedbugs grab and hold prey. The mouth is a short curved proboscis. This form is convenient for feeding belostoma, which pierces prey and injects toxic substances, liquefying inner part the victim, after which the bug sucks it out.
They also have wings, but they are used exclusively for relocation. These insects just don’t fly, preferring to be under water. However, belostomas often have to protrude to the surface, as they breathe oxygen through breathing tubes located on the back of the abdomen.
When migrating to other bodies of water, flying whitefish may be attracted to lamps and other light sources. This is why they are nicknamed “electric light bugs.”
Reproduction and development
The development of the giant water bug includes three stages - egg, larva and adult. The journey from egg to adult insect takes more than a month. Giant water bug larvae resemble adults, but smaller in size and have no wings. They go through several molts, each time acquiring new characteristics of an adult bug, such as wings and reproductive organs.
While caring for eggs, males practically do not feed, so after the breeding season their number is significantly reduced. In Japan, a caring male bedbug is a symbol of a good father.
It is noteworthy that the females of some species of giant water bug lay eggs on the backs of males, gluing them with a special substance after fertilization. After this, the father bugs do not swim for about two weeks and almost do not eat, protecting and caring for the offspring: with their movements, the males ensure an influx of fresh water to the eggs or expose their backs above the water for access to oxygen.
Other species of belostoma lay eggs on the leaves of aquatic plants.
Belostoma bites
Giant water bugs do not pose a great threat to people, since they themselves do not attack. These insects are characterized by a passive reaction to danger: when meeting a large enemy, they freeze, pretending to be dead. But if you pick up a white stomat in your hands or touch it in the water, it may well bite in self-defense.
At the site of the belostoma bite, blisters and wounds that take a long time to heal form In Asia, belost is eaten and considered a delicacy. In Thailand, because of this, insects are endangered.
According to reviews, fried belostomy is tasty and nutritious dish Giant water bug bites to humans are not dangerous to humans, but are very painful. Swelling occurs at the site of the bite. As a result of the digestive enzymes of the bug entering the wound, it heals for a long time, depending on individual characteristics body. Theoretically, the poison contained in the bedbug's saliva can cause severe allergic reaction. Although the deaths of people after being bitten by whitefish have not been recorded, there is still no need to worry them in vain.
Belostoma is an almost harmless, beautiful and unique creature. There is no need to offend giant water bugs and destroy them, because these insects are necessary in nature. And to avoid an unpleasant bedbug bite, be careful when bathing and do not pick it up.
They live everywhere, but people don’t always notice them. But there are also creatures that can harm people, turning their lives into a nightmare.
Types of bedbugs
The named insects have glands that are the source unpleasant odor. They use it to scare away enemies and attract their relatives.
Some bugs (for example, those living in Japan) carefully take care of their offspring, bringing food to the nest every day, and some lay eggs on the back of the male, where they develop until the larvae appear. The nutrition of these creatures directly depends on their habitat.
Water bugs: water striders and rowers
The size of these insects is small - from 2-30 mm. They have a thin and elongated body with long legs, with the help of which they can move across the water surface without any problems. This type of bugs is predators; they do not disdain even the bodies of dead animals.
Water striders that live in fresh water lay their eggs on plants, and marine insects carry them on themselves. Often a person who loves to relax near the water comes across a water bug. Photos of these creatures are even posted in school zoology textbooks.
The body length of rowers is about 0.5-0.6 cm, with short legs shaped like spoons. Favorable place for their habitat it is located in shallow water. But they can not only swim, but also fly.
They are herbivores and feed mainly on algae and sometimes detritus. Male paddlefish chirp so much that when they gather in large numbers on one body of water, you can hear their polyphonic choir from the water. This water bug does not pose any danger to humans.
Who are water scorpions and smoothies?
Another type of bedbugs - They grow no more than 45 mm in length. At the same time, their body is very elongated. The front legs are grasping, and they breathe using a long tube located at the back. This water bug lives in swamps. Water scorpions are predators, and their food is fry and small animals living in the water.
His body resembles a boat that quickly and deftly cuts through the water. The bug's hind legs serve as oars. Insects have chosen ponds with stagnant water, but they can be seen in puddles and even in a barrel of water.
Gladysh is also capable of flying in search of food, and he does this at night. It is a predator with a piercing-sucking mouthpart. Thanks to him big eyes, no one will escape from him.
The smooth water bug deftly holds its victim with its forelimbs, while piercing its shell and sucking the juice out of it. The males of this species, like the paddlefish, make chirping sounds.
Giant water bugs
Giant water bugs are tropical inhabitants. There they chose almost all bodies of water with fresh water.
These insects grow up to 15 cm. Their hind legs are designed for swimming, and their front legs are equipped with claws that allow them to grab prey and hold it tightly. The objects of the giants' hunt are fry, tadpoles, snails, and sometimes small fish are caught. While lying in wait for its prey, a predatory water bug can sit motionless for a long time. As soon as the prey approaches, the insect snatches it from the water and immediately begins to absorb it.
The giant water bug can also fly, but it does this extremely rarely, for example, if it suddenly becomes necessary to move to a new body of water. People are not of interest to them, but while swimming, the bug can still bite a person on the legs. This bite causes very unpleasant sensations, but does not cause any harm.
Why do we need water bugs in the world? This question plagues those who have a negative attitude towards insects of a certain type. To a greater extent, the described creatures participate in the food chain of aquatic inhabitants. For example, frogs love to eat water striders and paddlefish. And in Thailand, even a person can taste giant water bugs, if, of course, he is a lover of exotic cuisine.
Ground bugs: horseflies and stink bugs
Another representative of bedbugs are horseflies ranging in size from 2-9 mm. They have a bright color: dark brown, brick, orange or straw and also have dark or light stripes or dots on the back. They have long antennae and a proboscis, but no eyes. Horseflies are mainly herbivores, which is why they take root in grass or trees. Among them there are also pests, which are the beet bug and the alfalfa bug.
The shield insect family includes several subspecies: turtle shield insects, earthen shield insects, hemispherical shield insects, etc. Their body is round in shape, ranging in size from 1.4 to 45 mm. Individuals feed on both plants and insects, and they are pests of fields and vegetable gardens.
As you can see, the water bug is not as harmful as its terrestrial relatives.
What are lace bugs?
Lace bugs beautiful name obtained thanks to the shape of the body, which resembles lace. Their sizes do not exceed 1.5-5 mm. They are inactive and have no eyes. Lace bugs feed on the sap of fruit and larch trees, causing them harm.
Many gardeners wage a stubborn fight against these insects, since they can lose their harvest if no measures are taken. Bedbugs do not attack people, but trees suffer from them, and there are even cases when a large number of these creatures “ate” voluminous garden lands.
Predatory bugs
Individuals of the predator family reach a length of up to 20 mm. They love to perch near rocks or in bird nests. Often found in residential buildings. They feed exclusively on small insects.
But bugs of the genus Nabis and Orius are very useful for humans. They help destroy pests such as aphids and caterpillars, as well as the larvae of any invertebrates on agricultural land.
Bed bug
Quite famous bed bugs are Their oblong-shaped body grows up to 8.5 mm. Mature individuals have a red-brown color, and their larvae white. They are the owners of the very glands from which the unpleasant odor emanates. Bedbugs prefer to settle in houses, closer to people; nests are suitable for them bats and mouse holes.
IN warm conditions bloodsuckers can reproduce around the clock. A female bedbug lays about 10 eggs per day, and over the course of her life she can produce up to 260 eggs. The larva from the egg is born after 17 days.
When the air temperature drops to +10 °C, insects will be able to live for six months without food, and their larvae will enter suspended animation and can remain there for up to a year. In frosts with temperatures below -17 °C, bedbugs can live no more than a day, and in heat above +45 °C they will die out within half an hour.
Every bug is needed by nature, although not all people understand this. Of course, there are dangerous representatives, but if you look after your home and carefully choose places for swimming, then nothing terrible will happen. Each type of bedbug is of particular value to other living organisms and nature as a whole. They are part of the food chain, so their extinction could lead to the death of several species of diverse fauna and flora.
Bugs or hemipterans represent the largest order of insects with incomplete transformation into life cycle. In total, there are 30 thousand species in the order. They are distributed throughout the globe and live in all environments of existence. We will get acquainted with three families: smooth water bugs, combing bugs and belostomatids. All of them chose bodies of fresh water as their place of life. Particularly interesting are belostomatids - giant water bugs, which we will talk about in more detail.
Class insects, order Hemiptera
These insects got their name due to the presence of a front pair of wings, which differ in structure from the rear pair. The fore wings have turned into elytra with varying degrees of rigidity (chitinization) and looking like transparent membranes with many veins. The detachment includes 50 families, but only three of them have adapted to live in an aquatic environment:
- The largest family is combing bugs (Corixidae).
- Smoothfish family (Notonectidae).
- Giant water bugs (Belostomatidae).
Representatives of these families have similar and distinct features.
Oral apparatus
All insects of this order are characterized by the presence of a piercing-sucking type of mouthparts. It has the appearance of a proboscis, the basis of which is a long, jointed lower lip with a groove. The groove contains the lower and upper jaws, which have changed into thin long bristles. This device is covered from above by a short upper lip. The structure of the mouthparts determines the way bedbugs feed. All of them pierce the integument of the victim with their upper jaws and introduce toxins into its body, paralyzing the prey and dissolving soft fabrics. The entire oral apparatus is immersed in the victim, and the liquid contents of the victim are absorbed. Representatives of our three families are active predators, and their proboscis is short and curved, like the beak of birds.
Other Common Features
Aquatic bugs, unlike their terrestrial counterparts, have no scent glands or they are very poorly developed (in the giant water bug). They breathe atmospheric oxygen with the help of tracheal tubes that penetrate the entire body of the insect, and spiracles that open in the thoracic or abdominal part of the body.
Bedbugs reproduce sexually, the female lays from 10 to 200 eggs. Development - with incomplete transformation. The eggs will hatch into larvae that look very similar to the imago (adult). They molt 4-5 times, increasing in size and acquiring organs adult, which the larvae do not have (wings, antennae, segments of the legs). After a few weeks, the larva turns into an adult. A special feature of bedbug eggs is the presence of a cap at the top. When the larvae open these caps, but do not yet emerge from the egg, the sight looks very funny.
Rowing bugs
The family has about 600 species. These are small bugs. The largest representative reaches 16 mm in length. They live mainly in stagnant bodies of water, feeding on algae and the larvae of other insects. They fly well. Their peculiarity lies in the structure of their limbs - they are all different. The first pair are short spatulas, in the male with spines. This is his musical apparatus - in the water he runs it along his proboscis, and it produces a rather loud chirping sound. The second pair is thin and long, with claws at the end. With them, the bug clings tightly to the algae, providing itself with support. The third pair are flat oars, with the help of which the bug swims quickly. The female attaches the eggs to the algae with special glue, and they look like a small gray pile.
Interesting! There are so many of these bugs in Mexican lakes and swamps that even in the last century Britain imported them in barrels to feed poultry. After all, bedbugs are a protein in its pure form, and up to 250 million individuals were placed in a barrel.
Common water bug
This representative of the gladysh family is common in fresh water bodies of Russia (a total of 7 representatives of the species are found). The length of the adult is 1.5 cm, the body is green or brown, shaped like an inverted boat. The peculiarity of the smoothie is that it floats upside down, and then it becomes like a submarine. Breathing is carried out through tracheal tubes, which open in the abdominal area. From the surface, it carries with it a bubble of air under the water, which looks like a bubble of mercury. They fly well and take off directly from the water, and the female lays her eggs on algae. Smoothies are a favorite object of observation for young naturalists; they are often kept in aquariums. But if you pick it up carelessly, the prick of the proboscis will be painful, but not at all poisonous to humans.
Sword bugs - belostomatids, or giant bugs
In fauna Russian Federation they are represented by two species living in the Far East, with sizes more than modest - up to 4-5 centimeters. Far Eastern white stomas hibernate on winter period, and the rest of the time they lead a terrestrial-aquatic lifestyle. But real giant water bugs live where it is warm and humid - in tropical countries (South and North America, Thailand, India). In Florida (USA) they are called alligator ticks, and in India - finger biters.
Giant water bug: description
Let's start with the sizes. These insects grow up to 17 cm in length. They have different colors - from green to brown - depending on where they live. These bugs have their front legs (or first pair) turned into powerful pincers with hooks. It is with these that they firmly hold their prey until the injected toxin takes effect. They are active predators, primarily aquatic. Fish, frogs and even turtles are what the giant water bug feeds on. It even attacks small waterfowl! The toxin in the bedbug's saliva is similar in composition and effect to the venom of some snakes, but is not as toxic. It paralyzes the victim and dissolves its tissue, and the liquid contents are absorbed by the bug. In hunting, these predators are helped by retinal eyes and a hearing organ on the middle part of the body (tempanal organ). The bug can fly and loves the light of lanterns.
Because they fly towards light, they are called “electric lighting beetles.” It is in the light that people catch them in large quantities. Breathing is carried out through two tracheal tubes that open on the abdomen. These creatures have to surface every 7-8 minutes to take a breath. In case of danger, the giant bug pretends to be dead and becomes like a fallen leaf, which, however, can spray the secret of odorous glands located in the abdominal region at the attacker.
Caring daddies
The peculiarity of the giant water bug is its touching care for its offspring. And daddy does it. The female glues up to 100 eggs (she can lay up to 4 eggs at a time, so the bugs are forced to mate many times and spend a lot of time together) gray on the male's elytra, and for two long weeks he is doomed to remain on the surface of the reservoir (babies need oxygen), eat less and become easy prey for other predators. The male carries the eggs, sometimes moving his wings to air them. When the larvae open the lids of their eggs to exit, they do not immediately leave the parent. And he, poor thing, continues to be malnourished. This is the only type of bedbug that shows such care for its offspring.
A new species of insect that never existed!
This is exactly the message that has spread across the Internet quite recently. It was accompanied by creepy photographs and comments that after being bitten by a giant water bug, a person goes crazy and dies within two hours.
Next, it was suggested to follow the link and buy the antidote. Resourceful scammers never cease to amaze us. Is the water bug dangerous to humans? He may bite if you step on him or pick him up carelessly. It is painful, but not fatal. Apart from an unpleasant wound that will heal within one to two weeks, and itching, getting to know a giant water bug does not bring any other troubles.
Gastronomic delicacy
In Vietnam giant bugs- a very valuable resource. There, liquid is collected from the males from the pheromone-producing sacs. Ca "Cuong is the name of the product that has already entered the world market. One drop of this substrate changes the taste of the dish and, as the Vietnamese say, has a very beneficial effect... you know what.
In Thailand, these insects are simply fried - this is a common dish for local residents. It is called Malaeng da Na, it is sold in all markets and is inexpensive. There is probably not a tourist who has not tried fried giant bugs.
But in the Philippines, the legs of these insects are removed and... canapés are made for liqueurs. They are also fried whole or chopped with garlic, tomatoes, onions - basically, whatever you like. And they eat with pleasure.
Implications for the ecological system
In any ecosystem, everything is interconnected and represents a food-consumer chain. And if these amazing inhabitants appeared in the natural environment, it means that someone needs it. These insects are an important link in the trophic chain. They reduce the number of mosquito larvae, horseflies and other insects. In Vietnam, belostomas regulate the number of three-keeled turtles - the main pest for fry of commercial fish. But the line between benefit and harm is very blurred here. After all, bedbugs can cause significant damage to fish farming by eating fry. Is the water bug dangerous for humans? No, and you shouldn't be afraid of him.
But in Japan there is a male giant tick is a symbol of caring fatherhood, he is respected and even haiku poems are written about him. And they don’t eat it there - after all, in Japan these creatures are listed in the Red Book with the status “on the verge of extinction.”