Lethocerus americanus
Salmon

Lethocerus americanus

The Beast having a nice float waiting for goldfish
I saved one of these guys from my work a few years back. I couldn't believe how far they could fly - they were at least a half mile from water where I found them. I took him home in order to investigate where he belonged online, before finding a nice stream for him the next day close to where I found him. I couldn't wait to get him out of my house.
S/he freaked me out quite a bit and I was careful to ensure the enclosure was secure. At one point, I swear I caught him rubbing his belly and whispering... 'feed me or I eat the cats'. ;)
 
@VanessaS They're incredible fliers! I've heard their flight sounds like an R/C helicopter, but I've never been lucky enough to catch one in flight in the wild. Their large flight muscles are also a popular street food in Indonesia.

They're honestly really terrifying, and escape artists! I keep the lid to his enclosure weighed down with a book. Thankfully they can't climb sheer glass.
 
@Salmon They are everywhere in Southern Ontario and we were always warned about them growing up. I have seen them countless times and kept my distance.
But, it wasn't until I researched them online that I got a real appreciation of how terrifying they are. I'm lucky that to any toes left!
 
The first time I ever saw one of these in the wild it bounced off the window of a Circle K in Coolidge AZ. IDK how far it was from water (possibly a private pond) but Coolidge is in the flat lands of the Sonoran Desert.
 

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Insects
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Salmon
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Mon, 20 November 2017 1:53 AM
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