Giant Water Bug Range

[GiantVinegaroon]

Can giant water bugs be found in the northeast region of the US? Everything I've read says the occur throughout most of the US, but I have never seen one while living in PA and NJ. Do they occur in these states?

 

[Endagr8]

I have only seen one in my 8 years of living in Virginia. lol. I found it on a lighted tennis court on a warm summer night.

 

[Steven Valys]

we have them in Connecticut.

 

[crpy]

Hey lord, check parking lots after 12 am, thats what I do and get a bunch. Especially after a summer rain, mid to late summer

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

Hey lord, check parking lots after 12 am, thats what I do and get a bunch. Especially after a summer rain, mid to late summer

in PA or NJ?

 

[KJE]

Not sure if it helps, but we have them in southern Ohio.

 

[crpy]

yep, heres a discussion on bugguide. http://bugguide.net/node/view/17559/bgpage

There are also Dytiscus diving beetles which are very long lived and you can keep them communally in a ten gal set up like fish

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

yep, heres a discussion on bugguide. http://bugguide.net/node/view/17559/bgpage

There are also Dytiscus diving beetles which are very long lived and you can keep them communally in a ten gal set up like fish

oh i'm not looking for pets, i'm looking for bugs to add to my collection muahahahahaha

although, a giant water ug would be AWESOME

 

[billopelma]

I'm in ma on the nh border and we definitely have 'em here, mine just died last week.

Bill

 

[bhoeschcod]

I call em toe bitters!:O

 

[crpy]

well lord I can send you all the ones that expire if you want. I have a dead one now I can send you .

 

[dtknow]

Has anyone figured out how to keep these/breed them in captivity? I know a bunch were sold and NO ONE has really said much about them.

Supposedly they live for 2 years as adults in the wild. But all the ones I captured(3) expired within a few months. After eating some goldfish/guppies and other things, they spent most of the remaining few months attempting to escape. I wonder if they need to aestivate or if perhaps we feed them too much of the wrong foods.

They seem to really love vernal pools. If you can find an area that tree/chorus frogs use to breed you're in luck. I think it is something about it being fishless so no predation. But their were tons of other insect larvae...and surprisingly not too many mozzies.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

Supposedly they live for 2 years as adults in the wild. But all the ones I captured(3) expired within a few months.

The Eastern species is short-lived in captivity, almost never more than a few months, the Western regularly lives to 2 years (as long as they aren't kept together).