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Genus Abedus

Abedus herberti 5th instar teneral and darkened - Abedus herberti Abedus herberti teneral - Abedus herberti Egg-mass - Abedus herberti Toe Biter Giant Water Bug - Abedus indentatus Abedus indentatus Belostomatid - Abedus Abedus indentatus Abedus indentatus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
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)
Subfamily Belostomatinae
Genus Abedus
Explanation of Names
Abedus Stål 1862
Numbers
7 spp. in our area(1)
Size
13-40 mm
Identification
Easily recognizable by strongly reduced forewing membrane. Abedus immaculatus (Say) is the smallest belostomatid species found in North America. The larger, western species of Abedus are intermediate in size between Belostoma and Lethocerus(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)
Range
so. US(1)
A. breviceps: AZ, NM, sw. TX
A. herberti: AZ to UT and NM
A. immaculatus: FL to GA and MS
A. indentatus: CA
A. ovatus: se. AZ
A. parkeri: se. AZ
A. vicinus: se. AZ
Works Cited
1.Aquatic Insects of North America
R. W. Merritt, K. W. Cummins, M.B. Berg. 2008. Kendall/Hunt.
2.How to Know the True Bugs
Slater, James A., and Baranowski, Richard M. 1978. Wm. C. Brown Company.
3.Identification manual for the aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera of Florida
Epler J.H. 2006. FL Dept. Env. Prot., Tallahassee, FL. 186 pp.
4.Choate P.M. () Giant water bugs, electric light bugs, Lethocerus, Abedus, Belostoma (Insecta: Hemiptera: Belostomatidae)
5.A taxonomic study of the genus Abedus Stål (Hemiptera, Belostomatidae)
Menke A.S. 1960. UC Publ. Entomol. 16: 393‒439.