# Giant Water Bug



## DavidRS (May 22, 2005)

I picked this guy up at the local Bug Show. I haven't gotten it to eat anything yet, i've tried crickets and small minnows. Is this an Abedus sp? Any tips? temperature, etc?


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## Trace (May 22, 2005)

Very nice, how much did that guy run you?  He is probably not hungry because he has all those eggs glued to his back.


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## Philth (May 22, 2005)

> all those eggs glued to his back.


  I was wondering what they were?  Thats pretty cool, i never saw one with eggs before


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## Randolph XX() (May 23, 2005)

it'a not giant water bug, giant water bugs lay eggs on objects above the the water


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## Trace (May 23, 2005)

Randolph XX() said:
			
		

> it'a not giant water bug, giant water bugs lay eggs on objects above the the water



What's in a common name?  I am sure you are familiar with the native, harmless garter snakes of the Thamnophis genus?  There is also a 'garter' snake of Africa, Elapsoidea, however this one can cause cytotoxic bites.  So, the name 'giant water bug' seems like a pretty common name among many different species and genuses of insects.


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## Randolph XX() (May 23, 2005)

Abedus herberti also a giant water bug?okay i am really not familiar with common name
i thought giant water bugs=toe bitter=Lethocerus americanus in America
http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/waterbug/waterbug.htm
BTW, L.indicus is EXTINCT (3 sited in 10 yrs only)in Taiwan while there are plenty of them as food in South East Asian countries


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## Trace (May 23, 2005)

I've also heard that some of the true giants are nearly extinct.  They exude a musk from their abdomen as a defense that certain cultures love to use as a cooking ingredient.  Too bad, I would love to have a water bug 8 inches long and able to eat mice.


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## luther (May 23, 2005)

You have an aquatic mouse problem?


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## Alex S. (May 23, 2005)

All members within the family _Belostomatidae_ go by the common name giant water bugs. Species within the subfamily _Belostomatinae_ are smaller reaching an average adult length of 1 to 1.5 inches. The specimen pictured is within this subfamily. Those within the subfamily _Lethocerinae_, containing the single genus _Lethocerus_, are the truly giant water bugs. The largest species known is _Lethocerus maximus_ of the neotropics with specimens reaching around 110 mm (4.5 inches). It is extremely unfortunate that some of the Asian species are becoming rare in the wild.

Alex S.


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## Elytra and Antenna (May 23, 2005)

The young should hatch 18 days after eggs are laid so watch out for them and remove hatchlings to seperate cages. The adult can eat every youngster in a day.

Why are giant water bugs becoming rare in Asia? Pesticides in water sources? Considering their reproductive capabilities I can't imagine they're being eaten out of existence.


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## Randolph XX() (May 23, 2005)

MantidAssassins said:
			
		

> The young should hatch 18 days after eggs are laid so watch out for them and remove hatchlings to seperate cages. The adult can eat every youngster in a day.
> 
> Why are giant water bugs becoming rare in Asia? Pesticides in water sources? Considering their reproductive capabilities I can't imagine they're being eaten out of existence.


well, there are some misnderstood  They are rare in North-East Asia, not South-East Asia
L.indicus (8-10cm)are endangered in Taiwan only, might be pesticide, or they are just rare in Taiwan cuz Taiwan is the island on the border of sub-tropical and tropical. Plus places like Japan and Taiwan have heavier pollution than South East Asian countries, whera giant water bugs there get bigger and much more common
 Meanwhile they are really common in South East Asia countries as food source such as in Thailand, Malaysia, and southern China
however, the Japanese species(Lethocerus deyrolli 5-6cm) is endangered, too, cuz of pollution
a Japanese page about Lethocerus deyrolli farm

http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~Dytiscus/TAGAME/intro.htm


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## Alex S. (May 24, 2005)

There are some accounts of populations being smaller relative to where they were previously. I highly doubt any entire-species extinction will occur any time soon as belostomatids are extremely hardy insects that reproduce very successfully. There are _Lethocerus_ breeding farms for the Asian food industry, which is better than huge numbers of live individuals being taken from the wild. _Lethocerus indicus_ and _L. deyrollei_ are such awesome, unique species it would be horrible to eventually lose them.

Alex S.


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## Mistwalker (May 27, 2005)

Where I lived in minnesota, we had giant water beetles that looked just like that, got between 2 and 3 inches in length. I've seen pics of asian species and united states species, and I can't personally tell the difference. These buggers ate insects, small fish and frogs. I saw one sucking the guts out of a frog once. They can also fly, and can bite good and hard (personal experience).

Don't know the scientific name, and I don't know if that's the same species or not.


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## reptillian (May 27, 2005)

what is the answer to ur joke by the way?


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## reptillian (Jun 4, 2005)

*dude.........*

oh my god dont u know what that is!!!!!!!!!!! in britain we call it a waterb scorpiomn they are fierce predators! gthey are cool man u guys need to learn about ur local wildlife we know pratically every animal and plant in our country!(and were only 12/13)on the isle of wight we knew more than natralists.  (sorry to sound big headed but come oin guys get with it!)


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## reptillian (Jun 4, 2005)

soz about spelling i type to fast!


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## Wade (Jun 4, 2005)

reptillian said:
			
		

> oh my god dont u know what that is!!!!!!!!!!! in britain we call it a waterb scorpiomn they are fierce predators! gthey are cool man u guys need to learn about ur local wildlife we know pratically every animal and plant in our country!(and were only 12/13)on the isle of wight we knew more than natralists.  (sorry to sound big headed but come oin guys get with it!)


Actually, YOU don't know what it is. Waterscorpions are in the family Nepidae, and that is not a waterscorpion, whole different family. Giant water bugs are in belostomatidae.

Also, if you had read the first post, you might notice that the poster had purchased the critter at a show, and not collected it locally.

How many different animals you got in Isle of Wright anyway? Maybe 20?  ;P 

Wade


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2005)

reptillian said:
			
		

> what is the answer to ur joke by the way?



The joke is complete.  Carrion is dead animal.  Carry-on is baggage that you want to take with you on the plane.


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2005)

reptillian said:
			
		

> we know pratically every animal and plant in our country!(and were only 12/13)on the isle of wight we knew more than natralists.



It is common worldwide for 12 and 13 year olds to know practically everything, even more than the experts, and on any subject!

Aren't you a little older yet to get the humor in what you just said? Or are you still at the age where we should let you rule the world, because you know it all?   :}    

Well, it is always nice to see young people have interests and passions like this, anyway.


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## reptillian (Jun 5, 2005)

*ha ha*

ha ha spose me and me mate got told................... yea srry that was my mate being big headed lmao! i n o it does sound quite funny what he said
lol
by da way wade in england the suposed giant water bugs are actully called water scorpians but that is just our local name .local names often vairy!lol
and yes elizabeth please let us rule da world coz i would beet up non enviromental people and blow up evil peopl!!!!!!!!! lol actully i owuld probably just sit there eating crisps but still!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Wade (Jun 5, 2005)

reptillian said:
			
		

> ha ha spose me and me mate got told................... yea srry that was my mate being big headed lmao! i n o it does sound quite funny what he said
> lol
> by da way wade in england the suposed giant water bugs are actully called water scorpians but that is just our local name .local names often vairy!lol
> and yes elizabeth please let us rule da world coz i would beet up non enviromental people and blow up evil peopl!!!!!!!!! lol actully i would probably just sit there eating crisps but still!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Then what's your common name for the Nepidae?  :?

Common names do very from place to place, but I think you have both giant waterbugs and waterscorpions in England. They are easy to distinguish by the permanantly extended breathing tube waterscorpions have (which gives the impression of a tail, and therefore a vague resembalance to a scorpion), whereas giant water bugs have a very short, retractable breathing tubes. Otherwise, some members of Nepidae are very simmilar to water bugs in overal appearance. I can't dispute what common names you use in England, but I can say "waterscorpion" is a more logical name for Nepidae than Belostomatidae since they do have a more scorpion-like appearance (because of the tail). Really, though, if I had my way they'd be "watermantids" since that's what the remind me of the most. Coincidentally, my avatar is a picture of a waterscorpion.

I was only teasing abut the diversity of animal life where you live, but seriously, the US is vast piece of real estate, with incredibly diverse range of habitats, not to mention flora and fauna. Even the experienced naturalist encounter critters they've never seen before from time to time. 

Wade


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## roach dude (Jun 6, 2005)

right... we  do have a great pond beetle which is a fierce predator and eat small fish and inverts bug that doesnt look like the 1 in da pic? i dont no when i searched that latin name in google it came up with a invert which looked like a water scorpian . ahhhhhhhhhhhh common names psss me of coz they vary lots
lol


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## roach dude (Jun 6, 2005)

i know the diversity of wildlife in ameria is amazin because when i went to florida i didnt ever roconise anything there i did my head in!!!!!!!! you could b driving through marsh then come across some like open field!!!!!!!! awsome but the  one thing i didnt like about florida was the thee were no hills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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