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FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The giant water bug, or Lethocerus americanus, is an insect that comes from the family of Belostomatidae. This insect is generally found in freshwater ponds, slow-moving ponds, and marshes. These bugs go by the common name of electric light bugs, toe biters, Indian toe biters, alligator fleas, or alligator ticks.
These bugs, who are a member of the family Belostomatidae, generally lie motionless near or on the bottom of the freshwater bed. They wait for their prey, and upon contact, they strike. Although they don't have a painful bite, the saliva that they secrete from their rostrum is venomous but doesn't require any kind of medical attention.
These bugs are a member of the order Hemiptera. They are the biggest bugs found in the region of Canada and the United States and can grow up to 4.5 in (12cm). Their appearance can be confused with a beetle or a cockroach. They have an oval-shaped flat body that is brown in color.
Although these bugs which are a member of the order of Hemiptera are considered not to be dangerous despite the painful bite they have, when it comes down to hunting their prey down they do secrete toxins that paralyze the prey and liquefies the internals.
Being a bug it is capable of being a ruthless predator for aquatic insects, amphibians, crustaceans, fishes, salamanders, and tadpoles. They have hind legs which resemble oars which help them swim across the ponds and the marshes. Keep on reading if you want to know more about the giant water bug's location and facts about these predators. If you are interested in knowing about more related species, check out the yellow jacket wasp and the mud dauber wasp.
The giant water bug (Lethocerus americanus) is a type of insect.
The giant water bug belongs to the class of Insecta and the order of Hemiptera.
Although the exact number of Giant Water Bugs in the world is not known, there are around 170 species of giant water bug (Lethocerus americanus) that are found in freshwater ponds, slowly moving ponds, and marshes worldwide, of which 110 are found in the tropical terrestrial regions of America, and around 20 in Africa.
Generally, these electric light bugs (Lethocerus americanus) can be found in freshwater ponds, slow-moving ponds, and marshes. These true bugs can easily be found in the ponds of North America.
The giant water bug is found hidden under the wetlands of vegetation just lying dead on the surface of the water. The most desirable habitat for these aggressive predators is freshwater ponds, slowly moving ponds and marshes.
Though there is no intensive research, giant water bugs (true bugs) generally live in solitude. Being in groups can make them slow in terms of preying.
An adult insect of this species is said to live for one year. These aquatic beings don't have a very long lifespan. Still, they are quite a dangerous species for an insect.
The mating season for these electric light bugs or Lethocerus americanus starts in spring and early summer. Females lay around 100 - 150 eggs and the males carry them. Nymphs are hatched about one-two weeks after maturing from eggs. After reaching the stage of adulthood, in about two months, they spend their winter in the bottoms of ponds or marshes.
The conservation status of these insects is Not Listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN red list. Though these insects are found in freshwater ponds, slow-moving lakes or ponds, and marshes quite commonly. However, the only threat to the population of this species is water pollution, bullfrogs, and crayfish.
*Please note that this an image of a water bug that belongs to the same family as the giant water bugs.
These flat oval-shaped giant water bugs are brown. They have a pointed beak that overlaps over the abdomen which makes the shape of an 'X'. The front legs of this insect are meant to grasp the prey and the hind legs are meant for swimming as they are of oar-like structure.
This six-legged bug is not really cute but if you find cockroaches or beetles cute, then you will definitely find these Giant Water Bugs cute. The appearance of these aquatic bugs is generally confused with that of roaches or beetles.
Giant Water Bugs make ripple signals in water which are made with the legs being in contact with the water. These aquatic insect hunters which are the members of the order Hemiptera, vertically oscillate their bodies to communicate with their ripple signals. Their signals vary from a frequency from 2 - 3 Hz to up to 100 Hz.
Although the appearance of the giant water bug is confused with that of a cockroach, though they are nothing alike. Adult giant water bugs can grow up to 0.35 - 4.5 in ( 0.9 - 12 cm) long which is almost three times bigger than a cockroach. These species are big enough to prey on aquatic insects.
These oval-shaped insects with flat bodies have a hydrodynamic-rich body. Although their exact speed is not known, they have legs in the shape of an oar which helps them swim quick enough to catch their prey with their front legs.
There is no specific study that states the weight of this species from the family of Belostomatidae.
There is no specific name associated with the gender of this species. They are generally referred to as male or female giant water bugs.
Baby Giant Water Bugs are called a nymph. A nymph is hatched after maturing within 2 - 3 weeks of female laying eggs, and the males carry them.
These bugs are a member of the order of Hemiptera which are carnivores that survives on aquatic insects, fishes, salamanders, and tadpoles. These four-inch insects are formidable nimrods that are capable of preying on turtles, snakes, or for that matter a duckling.
Generally, this Lethocerus americanus go by a common name like toe-biters. They have earned this name as a giant water bug bite is considered to be one of the most painful insect bites. Even though the bite doesn't require any medical assistance unless the victim experiences allergies, vomiting sensations, swelling around the bitten area, fever, or difficulty in breathing.
This Lethocerus americanus is nowhere close to being domesticated because they won't survive in an artificial habitat. You can always find a giant water bug flying towards its prey near marshes, or swimming under freshwater ponds, or slowly moving lakes but you cannot pet them.
They are known by many common names and each has its explanation, for instance, they are called electric light bugs as they are attracted towards lights of cars and porch lights. This explains why they're always found lurking around in the parking lots. These bugs can also fly. The moment they leave the water they can be found lurking around lights.
Interestingly, a Lethocerus americanus can survive underwater for a long time in a single stretch just by converting the air bubble into oxygen with their gills which are present on their body. They have a special mechanism that is considered to be rather a defense as they can squirt an awful odor from their anus.
These toe-biters can have a painful bite which helps them hunt better. They secrete a toxin from their sharp beak which upon penetration into the prey not only can paralyze it but also liquify the internals making it easy for the bug to suck up all the liquid inside the prey.
The exact price of giant water bugs is not known.
Giant water bugs as their name suggests are giant bugs that can be up to 4 inches long and that live underwater in order to hunt.
As the bug is capable of transforming air bubbles into oxygen by gaping for about 20 minutes, bugs can almost double or triple their underwater time.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including the giant African millipede and the atlas beetle.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Giant water bug coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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