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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Aquatic Bugs (Nepomorpha) » Nepoidea » Giant Water Bugs (Belostomatidae) » Lethocerinae » Lethocerus » Giant Water Bug (Lethocerus americanus)
Photo#8565
Roach? - Lethocerus americanus
Copyright © 2004 anben

Roach? - Lethocerus americanus
Langley, British Columbia, Canada
November 8, 2004
My wife brought this 'little' bug home - found it on the sidewalk near a recreation centre near our home - assuming its a cockroach, any idea of the species?
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by anben on 11 November, 2004 - 11:52pm
Last updated 27 March, 2005 - 12:07am

Hemipteran
Definitely a Hemipteran (Belostomatidae). Great picture!
… rrr350, 23 October, 2006 - 2:17pm login or register to post comments

Giant Water Bug
That insect is called Giant Water Bug, and it's nickname is called the toebiter. The front legs that's forward is like spears, because it could spear with it, and make you bleed, so don't touch it, because it'll spear you with the front legs. It's main prey is tadpole, other insect, and sometime small fish too.
… InsectmaninIowa, 18 June, 2005 - 8:00pm login or register to post comments

Giant Water Bug
I agree with Paul and Joel: this is Lethocerus americanus. Moved to Guide (where there are more images and info).
… Robin McLeod, 27 March, 2005 - 12:10am login or register to post comments

Giant Water bug
Definately a giant water bug, Abedus herberti. It's closely related to cicadas and aphids.
… David Schlachter, 15 November, 2004 - 10:06am login or register to post comments

 
Not so sure...
I think Paul was right with this being Lethocerus americanus. Abedus should have reduced membranes on the hemelytra which doesn't seem to be the case with this bug. Also, this page states that only two genera and species are found in BC (L. americanus and something else). Lethocerus is supposed to be much larger (45-65 mm according to Borror, Triplehorn and Johnson (1)) than the third North American genus Belostoma (about 25 mm). With the large size and well-developed membranes, I think this can be put down to L. americanus.
… Joel Kits, 15 November, 2004 - 1:22pm login or register to post comments

Toe-Biters...
Paul is right, this is a Giant Waterbug. Growing up in Florida, I encountered these more than once, and they will bite with their piercing beak...so be careful...
… Tony DiTerlizzi, 12 November, 2004 - 8:09am login or register to post comments

 
Re Giant Water Bug
Thanks for the help! After reading your comments I did an image search for the Giant Water Bug on google and came up with matching photos. Hopefully we can get it back into the land of the living...
… anben, 12 November, 2004 - 10:25am login or register to post comments

Giant water bug
It is a giant water bug, I think also called 'toe biter'. I may be wrong (we do not have any of this group where I come from) but it could be Lethocerus americanus. I am sure someone will put me right if I am wrong. ;-)

Paul

http://www.diptera.info
… Paul Beuk, 12 November, 2004 - 1:29am login or register to post comments

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