Appreciate Creation
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2024
- Messages
- 3
Hello, I recently aquired an adult giant water bug of the Lethocerus genus 
It's not my first, I had a Lethocerus in highschool, an Abedus in college, and a young Lethocerus last summer (that i released a few days after capture). I learned in an aquatic entomology class that Lethocerus giant water bugs, in the Tucson area of Arizona, migrate down here in the summer during the rains 
and go back up to the Catalina Mountains 
after breeding. I only just recently got reminded that the migration back to the mountains occurs during the fall which is when I found/captured my most recent pet in the swimming pool. If you are unfamiliar with the Catalina mountains the habitat 
there is entirely different then the adjacent Tucson Valley. The former is cool and forested, the latter is a dry desert (dry except for the summer and winter rainy periods) and it does get cold in the winter.
MY QUESTION is, does anyone know if it is safe to keep a Lethocerus giant water bug over the winter? 
I've read that they tend to either hibernate in deep, muddy water bodies or remain in a low activity state during the winter (however, none of these sources were speaking about Tucson-area populations). Keeping that in mind along with their migratory tendencies, i am wondering if it would be harful for the bug if i kept it in a tank in my house for the remainder of its life. The one i had in highschool sometimes acted like it was trying to get out of the tank 
. I had that one for at least a year before it died. This currant one hasn't shown any signs if trying to escape, but it's only been about a week or two. I beleive you take on the responsibility to give a critter the best life you can offer it once you take it as a pet. I want to help this bug have a healthy existance 
. Thanks for reading and responding if you can!
It's not my first, I had a Lethocerus in highschool, an Abedus in college, and a young Lethocerus last summer (that i released a few days after capture). I learned in an aquatic entomology class that Lethocerus giant water bugs, in the Tucson area of Arizona, migrate down here in the summer during the rains and go back up to the Catalina Mountains after breeding. I only just recently got reminded that the migration back to the mountains occurs during the fall which is when I found/captured my most recent pet in the swimming pool. If you are unfamiliar with the Catalina mountains the habitat there is entirely different then the adjacent Tucson Valley. The former is cool and forested, the latter is a dry desert (dry except for the summer and winter rainy periods) and it does get cold in the winter. MY QUESTION is, does anyone know if it is safe to keep a Lethocerus giant water bug over the winter? I've read that they tend to either hibernate in deep, muddy water bodies or remain in a low activity state during the winter (however, none of these sources were speaking about Tucson-area populations). Keeping that in mind along with their migratory tendencies, i am wondering if it would be harful for the bug if i kept it in a tank in my house for the remainder of its life. The one i had in highschool sometimes acted like it was trying to get out of the tank . I had that one for at least a year before it died. This currant one hasn't shown any signs if trying to escape, but it's only been about a week or two. I beleive you take on the responsibility to give a critter the best life you can offer it once you take it as a pet. I want to help this bug have a healthy existance . Thanks for reading and responding if you can!
)
