(Josh Cassidy/KQED)Īfter mating, a female climbs onto the male’s back to lay row after row of eggs, gluing each one with a gooey substance oozing from her reproductive glands. “Parental care is unusual in itself,” says Sites, “but then actually attaching the eggs to the males - that’s another layer of complication.” Male giant water bugs in the Abedus genus, like this Abedus indentatus in California, carry their eggs around piggyback style throughout their development. ![]() In some California species, dad will haul his eggs around piggyback style for weeks, until they hatch right off his back. (Josh Cassidy/KQED)ĭespite their aggressive and predatory nature, giant water bugs might just be the most responsible fathers in the insect world. “Almost certainly, it’s still alive when it’s being eaten.” A giant water bug injects a fish with paralyzing digestive enzymes before slurping out the liquefied insides. “They wait for everything to dissolve, and suck it back out,” says Chris Goforth, an entomologist and manager of citizen science at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Using their powerful, vice-grip legs, they subdue their victim before stabbing into it and injecting venom that liquefies the insides of their prey. Giant water bugs prey on other aquatic insects, as well as animals as large as turtles, snakes and even ducklings - one naturalist in the 1800s even recorded one ambushing and devouring a woodpecker. When park rangers in the Santa Monica Mountains found healthy populations of giant water bugs near popular swimming holes in 2018, they warned the public to beware of their particularly unpleasant bites.īut our toes aren’t what water bugs are after. Several species live in California’s ponds and streams, and most measure about the length of your thumb. “If you get one of the legs, you can use that as a toothpick,” he says. Sites describes the dish as quite tasty, with a nutty flavor. “You get this kind of a green lumpy substance that looks like guacamole, but doesn’t taste like guacamole,” says Robert Sites, an entomologist at the University of Missouri. They prowl rice fields and other wetlands throughout Asia, where they’re considered a delicacy : One Thai dish serves water bugs with wings removed and bodies pulverized. In Brazil, they’re known as “escorpião d’água” (water scorpions). ![]() Giant water bugs are recognized around the world. In some parts of the world, giant water bugs are nicknamed “toe-biters” due to their notoriously painful bites. The perpetrator and I locked eyes for only a second before it darted off like an aquatic bandit. I watched as my thumb swelled, gradually turning shades of blue and purple. Sharp pain radiated out from the puncture site, marked with a red dot. Ankle-deep in a cold stream near San Jose, I grabbed a submerged rock, flipped it over, and instantly felt a piercing jab. Or, if you go chasing water bugs, like I did while researching this story, it could be your thumb that takes the hit. You may not even get a chance to spot the offending insect before it dashes off, but you’ll undoubtedly be left with an indelible impression. They puncture the skin with dagger-like mouth parts, and have a bite known as one of the most painful of any insect - sharp and stinging like a wasp’s. And although they won’t seek you out for an attack, they also won’t hesitate to take a defensive bite if you get too close, earning them the nickname “toe-biters.” Several species of giant water bugs lurk in ponds and streams throughout California, like this Abedus indentatus. ![]() Lurking just below the surface of that flowing creek or refreshing pond, these bugs resemble enormous aquatic ticks, with googly eyes and praying mantis arms. ![]() This summer, as you cool your bare feet in a stream somewhere in California - or almost anywhere in the world, really - you might feel a painful nip.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |