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For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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Family Belostomatidae - Giant Water Bugs

Giant water bug with eggs - Abedus - male Giant Water Bug - Belostoma lutarium Underside of backyard monster?? - Lethocerus americanus Belostomatidae nymph Lethocerus sp. - Lethocerus Water Bug - Abedus What is this? - Lethocerus americanus Lethocerus americanus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Infraorder Nepomorpha (Aquatic Bugs)
Superfamily Nepoidea
Family Belostomatidae (Giant Water Bugs)
Other Common Names
Electric Light Bugs, Toe Biters, Fish Killers
Numbers
19 spp. in 3 genera in our area(1), ~160 spp. in 9 genera worldwide(2)
Size
the largest Heteroptera: 13-75 mm (Abedus are 13-15 mm, Belostoma, 15-30mm, and Lethocerus, 40mm or more)(3); 9-110+ mm globally(2)
Identification
Illustrated keys provided in(1)(4)(3)(5)(6)
Range
widespread(1), most diverse in the tropics(7); in our area, across the US and adjacent Canada, but more diverse in so. US
Habitat
ponds, shallow margins of lakes and rivers with submerged vegetation and detritus(1)
Food
aquatic arthropods, snails, small fish and amphibians(7); can attack prey many times their size(2)
Internet References
Fact sheet by P.M. Choate(8)