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Giant Water Bug Video Stock Footage
Commonly known as "toe biter", L. americanus may deliver a painful bite if handled or disturbed. However, it prefers to avoid humans rather than engage them whenever possible. If disturbed in the water, the speed of L. americanus allows it to quickly break away while its natural camouflage easily conceals it. Even if agitated on dry land, L. americanus will first attempt to escape or play dead before raising its fore limbs and hind quarters in what resembles a fighting stance. If agitation continues, L. americanus will use its fore limbs to latch onto the source of the agitation and attempt to deliver a painful bite. Also known as the "electric-light bug", it may be attracted by electric lights while flying at night. L. americanus is differentiated from a similar insect, Benacus griseus, by grooves found on its fore femora to accommodate the tibiae when folded tightly. Eggs are laid on vegetation located at the water's edge and may be guarded by an adult. The young nymphs then hatch about two weeks later. Adult females will alternate between feeding and mating, laying about 150 or more eggs in their lifetime. However, few nymphs survive to maturity due to cannibalism and other predators. Adults die over winter. Learn more about Giant Water Bug
View related species in family group: Bug
Animalia: Arthropoda: Hemiptera: Insecta: Belostomatidae: Lethocerus americanus