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Post details: Giant water bug from Ecuador

Giant water bug from Ecuador

We heard you wanted to see a picture of a simply gigantic water bug.

Giant water bug © Kevin via fishpondinfo.com

So here it is. This is a giant belostomatid water bug. This picture is from the website Fishpondinfo and was taken in Ecuador by Kevin from Kentucky.

These bugs are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera, and occur in freshwater habitats in a range of locations worldwide, mostly in North and South America and East Asia. They have some unusual reproductive habits, and are also particularly popular in Thailand: can you guess why?

[More:]

Fried Giant Water Bug Lethocerus indicus - Chiang Mai Night Bazaar © avlxyz

Yes, that's right, they eat them. In the northeast region of Thailand, eating insects is common. This species (known as mang dah; Thai: แมงดา) is a popular dish, eaten whole and fried.

Belostomatids also have an unusual and odd-looking way of caring for their eggs. the female lays them on the back of the male, who carries them around, looking after them. This can give the big male bugs a rather odd appearance.

Male giant water bug and eggs © NoiseCollusion

5 comments so far, see them and add yours here!

Posted on 17th February 2010 at 8 51 am
by The Virtual Ranger
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Comment from: kate

I found a GIANT water bug on my deck at 8:30 at night! Why do I have this bug on my deck? Where did it come from? We live in the city of Sun Prairie Wisconsin.....it's huge and we're all freaking out. I've never seen a bug like this in my life!

Permalink 10/10/10 @ 02:55

Comment from: kim H

we found one that went threw are drive threw window in upstate ny is that normal

Permalink 25/10/10 @ 17:35

Comment from: shelly wolf west

i hate these bugs
we hear them at nite crawling
around
they look they are from
district 9

Permalink 28/04/11 @ 19:29

Comment from: Jason Australia

I've seen these giant water bugs in Queensland & S.A. Outback at night around light towers (drill sites) looking for water? :-)

Permalink 20/05/11 @ 18:49

Comment from: James

We live in Chennai which is in India and suddenly today late night around 12:30 @ night we found one of the sick looking Big giant Water Bug in our office behind the chair we were first stunned then we took it in our hands and through it out... Can any one tell if this is poisons pls

Permalink 30/06/11 @ 21:37

The thoughts and writings of The Virtual Ranger, since 1995 the host and mascot of Naturenet, the UK's most popular independent environmental website; along with interjections from his real-life alter ego, Matthew Chatfield, and others. Featuring not only Naturenet and countryside related stuff, but, as on Naturenet, plenty of other material - more or less at random - that takes The Ranger's fancy. But you can be confident that soon enough he'll be rather sarcastic.

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Post details: Giant water bug from Ecuador

Giant water bug from Ecuador

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