Anyone have any clues as to what this creature is? It was about 3-4 inches long, and used the front appendages to crawl forward. There was a small pond nearby, so I think it may be aquatic, but am unsure. It was found in Massachusetts, USA. I have lived here nearly my entire life, and have never seen such a thing!
You are correct, it is a Giant Water Bug. I've seen only a few of these my entire life. Imposing, aren't they?
there is a close relative with the hilarious name of "Eastern Toe Biter" but it looks like yours is a Giant Water Bug.
We get them here in Australia all the time up North, I didn't know they were found in your part of the world. I have one pinned in my collection, you can see it in the middle of the insect collection in my Science challenge shot:
The ones here kirbic are called both Giant Water Bugs AND Toe Biters, depending where you come from.
Natator, it appears the name "toe biter" is applied to all of the species, my error.
There are several species in N. America, and it looks like Africa & Asia are host to them as well.
They apparently also are known in N.A. as "electric light bugs" because they are attracted to lights at night; I was unaware of this until I Googled them.
Evidently there were some local plagues of them in both Florida & California this year...
Prolly more than we wanted to know about Giant Water Bugs. It was fun though, 'cause I haven't seen one in many years.
Well! I am both excited and .. well, unscientifically disgusted! I only hope that it is not the BABY!!! LOL
I can't believe such a creature has been around, and yet in college I took part numerous times in collecting for classification of water insects, and fish, and to do so waded in the water!!! Yucko! Had I known, I probably would not have done that! LOL
Ahhh, didn't know that about them kirbic, but that does explain why the local supermarket carpark was full of them at night ... floodlights :)
Sounds like you got lucky there Karen in you collecting trips, as the adults of these little beasts are known to drag poor unsuspecting students to the depth and devour them (Muhhhhwwwwaaaaa!!!!!!!)
They are one of my all time favorite insects, simply as where I grew up we didn't have anything exotic like that. The other ones I like not are the MASSIVE stick insects (I used to have one that was over a foot long, and the amazing ones that look so like leaves you have to be careful not to have them in your salad ... though the protein is good for you ;)
Ahh, but Entomology 101 is not over yet. Natator, I can't produce a one-foot walking stick, but here's a specimen I recently photographed in the yard...
Toe biters - or Belostomatids are indeed fantastic insects. In one of the species found in Australia, the female actually lays her eggs on the dorsum of the males, and the males then care for the eggs (courtesy of Insects of Australia) - how cool is that!!
I seem to be following you around the post - yes, the CSIRO 2-volume set is absolutely fantastic!! Have you seen the butterflies of Australia 2 volume set?? It is fantastic as well - I highly recommend i!!!
Jon,
That's all him! his two forelegs are bright green, the rest are brown.
He is one weird looking bug. Can you imagine what he must look like to "normal" sized bugs? Like something out of Star Wars?
