This insect cannot be called charming. It is somewhat disgusting in appearance, and also unpleasant tactilely. However, such a position is subjective. And if you don’t know what it is, then it’s time to figure it out!
The representative of Hydrocores differs significantly in appearance from his fellow bed scoundrels. The creature's body is smooth. It is oval in shape. The bug has three pairs of powerful legs, a large number of elastic bristles throughout the body, huge eyes, a proboscis, membranous wings and elytra.
The colors of such “water breads” can be:
- Pale yellow.
- Rich pink.
- Dull green.
- Terracotta.
By the way, look at the photo of the smoothie bug:
Such a “little one” is quite capable of settling in any puddle, and sometimes even taking shelter near a light source, for example, near a lamp or lantern. Breathes atmospheric air due to the absence of gills.
When in water, the bug turns over on its back for self-defense. The survival instinct allows him to successfully hide from fish and other life-threatening enemies. Indeed, it is extremely difficult to notice this small creature in the water column.
The aquatic resident is also appetizing for birds, who try to swallow it when it rises to the surface. It mostly hides from its pursuers in the depths, but sometimes pretends to be dead.
In winter, predators have a hard time caramelizing. They get out onto land and begin to inhabit the layers of turf and tree bark. Gladysh is an excellent swimmer. The body in the form of a swollen oat granule allows it to quickly glide across water surfaces. In addition, he is considered a pretty good musician.
The legs, adapted to create a variety of sounds, rub against the proboscis, and as a result, integral compositions are formed, perceived by true connoisseurs as real symphonies. This clatter and clatter is somewhat reminiscent of the noisy activity of grasshoppers hunting in the lush greenery.
What does a water bug eat and how does it usually behave?
It is clear that it is not for nothing that entomologists call the smooth bug. Using the oral apparatus, the insect sucks out all the entrails from the caught victim. “Live food” receives from its killer a portion of a nerve agent that impedes movement and destroys the structure of the body. After injecting the poison, the smoothies produce and inject an antitoxin substance for safe feeding.
For the most part, their diet consists of small fish that have strayed from schools. When hunger is incredibly strong, older individuals can eat young animals. Yes, they really practice cannibalism!
And everything would be amazing for the Discovery Channel and the world of wildlife, which has its own long-standing foundations, but these living creatures ended up on our site. So it’s not all so harmless! Bedbugs can happen on occasion.
However, let’s immediately clarify: nothing will happen if you don’t provoke this creature. It itself is unlikely to attack, but if you want to anger the insect, you can run into an unpleasant result. The bite will feel similar to a bee sting. Nothing terrible, but damn annoying! Curious children, who want to touch everything in the world, especially suffer from this.
Reproduction and other information
Adult insects live separately, taking care only of themselves, not paying attention to relatives.
There are giant water bugs called belostomas. In appearance, these are hefty beetles with powerful claws. They pose a serious danger to fish, and from time to time a person can get caught in the water due to his bad character.
Don't worry about this: Belostomas are incredibly rare in Eurasia. Their habitats are South Africa, East Asia, North America.
They reproduce “matriarchically”: the female places the load (a clutch of eggs) on the male’s elytra, and he begins to bear his difficult burden. However, this, as Leonid Kanevsky says, is a completely different story...
Fight against Gladysh
How to deal with bedbugs called smoothies? Is this even necessary? These insects do not do anything terrible for humanity; moreover, they even improve the territory, pampering themselves with mosquito larvae.
But since you really want to, you can try to destroy predators mechanically or with the help of insecticides. It was talked about earlier, be sure to check it out. Typically, such actions are performed when a smoothie accidentally enters a home.
We kindly request: after reading the article, do not deny yourself a rest near reservoirs, because it is stupid to be afraid of practically harmless creatures of God!
Giant water bug July 15th, 2014
This biting, crawling creature has a Latin name Belostomatidae. The giant water bug is found throughout the world, especially in North and South America, East Asia and Northern Australia. It is called differently in different areas of the world - but all nicknames are equally creepy. This water bug is carnivorous, preying on crustaceans, fish and even aquatic reptiles. When confronted with people, they pretend to be dead. If this doesn't work, they may bite, piercing the flesh and injecting their saliva. This is one of the most painful bites in the world, although it does not pose any medical threat. In Thailand there are such beetles - street food and a tasty treat fried in a spiced sauce.
Let's find out more about them...
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We've all heard about bedbugs and how some of them smell terrible, while others feed on human blood, e.g. bed bug. This is true. What do you say when you learn that there are bedbugs up to 15 centimeters in length living in the world? True, they won’t climb into your bed, but while swimming in the pond they may accidentally bite you. We are talking about giant water bugs.
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These giants live in tropical countries, for example in the countries of South America, East Asia (India), Southeast Asia (Thailand), and representatives of this family are also found in North America(for example, Florida), where local residents gave them their name - “Alligator Ticks.” Typically, they can be encountered in freshwater bodies of water and streams.
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Giant water bugs can reach a length of 15 centimeters. They belong to the Belostomatidae family, which differs from species in other families in that their hind legs are designed for swimming rather than walking. The front legs are strong, large and somewhat shorter than the others. At their ends there are hooks that look like claws. They serve as an excellent tool for capturing and holding prey.
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Adults cannot breathe underwater, so they often rise to the surface to take a breath of air. Their respiratory organs are 2 breathing tubes located on the abdomen. But they barely protrude beyond its end or are completely hidden.
Giant water bugs are real predators. For their size and prey, you need appropriate prey - fish fry, tadpoles, insects, salamanders, amphibians, snails and even small fish. They wait for their prey, being motionless and anchored on a stone or aquatic plant. When prey swims very close, the bugs grab it with their front paws and pull it to the mouth.
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Using a proboscis, they inject saliva into the victim’s body, which has a paralyzing effect and very quickly liquefies its insides. The bug then eats (sucks out) the resulting mushy mass.
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While studying giant water bugs in their natural habitat - rice fields, a scientist discovered how the insect ate a Chinese three-keeled turtle. Note that turtles of this species grow on average up to 17 cm.
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Giant water bugs can fly, but they do this not so often - only when they move to a new body of water or when they are attracted by the light of night lamps. Because of this, they received another name: “electric-light bugs”. These bugs most often bite people on the legs or toes while swimming. For a person, this bite will not cause harm, but will be quite painful.
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In cases where bedbugs encounter a larger enemy, including humans, they resort to tricks. They pretend to be dead, and when the “threat” gets close enough, the insect releases liquid from the anus into it.
Photo 10. 
In the spring, many large pale gray or brown eggs can be seen on the backs of bed bugs from the family Belostomatidae. Males act as nannies for their offspring. After each mating, the female lays 1-4 eggs on his elytra. And the male can carry a clutch of up to 100 eggs. This means that a pair of giant water bugs can mate up to 30 times before everything required amount eggs will end up on daddy's back.
Photo 12. 
With such “baggage” he travels for about 10-12 days. During this entire period, he shows real fatherly care to his offspring. The male periodically raises them above the surface of the water. Such air baths prevent the formation of fungus and maintain the viability of the eggs. Sometimes he makes rocking movements, which increase the distribution of oxygen in the clutch.
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In the countries of Southeast Asia, and especially in Thailand, these beetles can be tasted in local restaurants or bought as a fried delicacy right on the street.
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The word “bug” is usually associated with a household pest and only evokes unpleasant emotions. However, in nature there are many insects called bedbugs. Some even live in water, for example, smoothie.
Description of smoothies
Smoothies are the name given to large bugs that live in fresh water. They are classified as a separate genus, belonging to the Gladyshev family: in total, it includes more than three hundred species, and seven live on the territory of Russia. Gladys resemble other water bugs - belostoma, but are much smaller - 1.5 cm compared to 15 cm. In the Eurasian region, these bugs are distributed everywhere and live in stagnant bodies of water, they can also live in puddles and even in barrels of water. Types of smoothies differ by region of habitat, color and size (7–18 mm)
The smoothie's body is divided into head, chest and abdomen. In general, it resembles a boat: this shape allows the insect to move easily in the water. The name of the bug speaks about its appearance - the body of the bug is smooth, which gives it additional streamlining and promotes better swimming. There is also a device for swimming: the rear pair of limbs of the insect (the bug has three such pairs in total) resembles the structure of oars, thanks to which the bug cuts through the water. The smoothie floats on its back; from a great height it can be mistaken for a plant leaf. These bugs breathe air, and the respiratory organ is located at the back end of their abdomen, so they spend most of their time with this part of their body out of the water.
The color of smoothies is varied - they are usually greenish-brown, although yellow and pink shades are also found. Depending on the body of water in which the bug lives, the color may change: smoothies, like many animals, can adapt appearance to the habitat. The abdomen of the bug is darker than the back (elytra), on which there are various geometric patterns that give the bug an attractive appearance. Reddish eyes are visible on the insect's head.
Reproduction and development
The smooth bug is an insect with incomplete metamorphosis. Its development includes three stages
- Egg. At the beginning of spring, the female mates with the male, after which she lays up to 200 yellow eggs on the lower part of aquatic plants.
- Larva. After about two weeks, the eggs hatch into larvae. They look like adult insects, but are wingless and light green in color. During the summer, three molts occur, with each one the structure of the young bug changes slightly - in the last molt, the rudiments of wings already appear.
- Imago. By August, the bug molts for the fourth time and becomes an adult insect. Its development ends here, but the chitinous cover hardens and acquires its final color only after some time.
Smooth bug larvae resemble adult bedbugs in structure, but are much lighter in color and do not have wings Complete transformation In insects there are four stages of development, including egg, larva, nymph (caterpillar) and adult.
Feeding smoothies
Smoothies are predators. They hunt for other aquatic insects, and sometimes for fish fry or frogs. Smoothies also exhibit cannibalism; they can eat younger relatives.
Swimming upside down, it is convenient for the insect to observe the surface of the reservoir; As soon as the smoothie notices prey, a sharp attacking jerk follows. Oral apparatus it has a piercing-sucking pattern characteristic of bedbugs, which indicates its feeding method: the prey is pierced by the proboscis. then, softened under the influence of the bug's digestive enzymes, it is sucked out. If a smoothfish bites a large fish, it may remain alive, but this will have a very adverse effect on its health.
By the way, these bugs fly well and, if a residential building is located close to a pond, they can thus get into the aquarium and harm the fish.
As far as is known, smoothies feed exclusively on animal food Birds and large fish are natural enemies of smoothies: they can eat water bugs.
Danger to humans
Smoothie is safe for people if you do not touch it. Adults are rarely bitten by these bugs, as they do not attack large creatures. You can only be attacked by accidentally hitting it in the water. But children are bitten by the water bug more often, since they often want to catch the beautiful insect in their palms.
Find out more about the waterbug bite from our article -
It is impossible not to notice the attack of the smoothie, as it is accompanied by sharp pain. Soon the bitten area swells. As first aid, you can apply cold to the bitten area or burn it with brilliant green. There are no terrible consequences for a smoothie bite, and on average, after a week there will be no trace left of it. However, any person, especially those prone to allergies, can develop an individual allergic reaction, just like to a wasp or bee sting. If you have already been allergic to insect bites, it is advisable to take an antiallergic drug. If, after a bite, difficulty breathing, dizziness, loss of consciousness and other similar symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. However, it is worth noting that there is no data on deaths as a result of Gladysh attacks. 
A sharp pain when bitten by a smoothie is felt not because of the bite itself, since the bug’s proboscis is very small, but because of the insect’s caustic saliva getting into the wound
Because of their painful bites, smoothies are also called “water wasps” or “water bees.”
If a water bug somehow gets into the aquarium, it must be removed immediately before the fish are harmed. Although some people even keep smoothies in separate aquariums, admiring their unique beauty.
The role of smoothies in nature
Unlike at home water corners, it is under no circumstances necessary to specifically destroy water bugs in natural bodies of water. These insects, like all living things, perform important functions. For example, smoothies regulate the number of mosquitoes - one bug can eat up to a hundred mosquito larvae in a day. The fact that water bugs eat fish fry cannot be considered harmful, unless this happens in fish farms. Smoothies participate in the food chain, themselves being food for larger animals. Thus, water bugs are an indispensable link in the ecosystem of a particular reservoir and the entire living world as a whole.
Scullers spend most of their time on their backs, with their rowing legs spread out to the sides For people there is also a unique benefit of the water bug as food product. In Asian cuisine it is considered a delicacy, and in Mexico they eat smoothie eggs.
Water bugs have a number of features:
- Male smoothies can make sounds reminiscent of the chirping of a grasshopper. To do this, they scrape their proboscis with their front paws.
- Smoothies do not overwinter in reservoirs, but in a layer of forest litter, under tree bark and similar places.
- The old chitinous cover remaining after molting is very similar to a living insect.
- Smoothies migrate mainly at night, flying to other places. They are very attracted to bright light.
Gladysh is a beautiful and almost harmless water bug. To avoid its bite, you just need to avoid touching the insect. You only need to get rid of the smoothie when a bug gets into an aquarium or fish farm; in other cases, you should not offend a unique representative of the living world.
Most people associate bedbugs with domestic bloodsuckers and agricultural pests that spoil bread and crops. However, our planet is inhabited by many different arthropods belonging to different families, which differ in their unique body structure and habitat.
One of the most unusual insects is the smooth water bug, which can be found in the reservoirs of our country.
Let's take a closer look at what this insect is.
Description of the smooth water bug
The name of the insect speaks for itself, since The bug has a streamlined, boat-shaped body. This water beetle has three pairs of legs, of which the hind ones are the longest. The hind pair of legs is also covered with bristles, which serve as oars. From the surface of the reservoir, the insect captures a bubble of air, which it breathes and which plays an important role in buoyancy. This bubble clings to the lower part of the abdomen. On the head of the smoothie there are two eyes, which are very large compared to its head.
The insect's hind legs are designed for swimming in water, and not for moving on land, like most other members of the family. The front legs are more massive and somewhat resemble claws. The front legs are shorter than the rest. At the ends of the paws there are hooks that look like claws. They are necessary for securely capturing and holding prey.
Adult water bugs cannot breathe underwater, so they constantly rise to the surface of the water. The respiratory apparatus of insects includes two tubes located on the abdomen.
Smooth bedbugs can fly, but they use this ability only if they need to move to another body of water in order to find food. Also rise into the air when attracted by the light of lanterns. The insect has membranous and transparent wings, the elytra are dense and brown.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that males have an unusual ability to make sounds, which are very similar to the chirping of a grasshopper. This sound appears due to the friction of the front paws on the proboscis.
Smoothies lay their offspring in the form of eggs on the bottom of the reservoir, attaching them to algae and other aquatic plants. The eggs mature within two weeks. Moreover, the warmer the water in the reservoir, the faster the ripening process will proceed. Smoothie larvae are similar in appearance to adult individuals, but are slightly lighter in color. During the summer they go through four molts. Their shed chitinous cover is so similar to the bug itself that it can be easily confused with a living creature.
Male water bugs have a unique relationship with their offspring because females lay eggs on their elytra, and then the father takes all the care. In one clutch, the female is capable of laying about 100 eggs. In spring, the male, which is covered with eggs, becomes like a hedgehog.
Predator or not?
The water mite is a predator. Even small fish and frogs can be their prey, but in most cases, bedbugs eat fish fry, tadpoles, larvae and mosquitoes.
Smooth fish differ from many other species in their unusual swimming technique. After the bug has immersed itself in the water, it begins to turn over with its belly up. Thus, the insect keeps the surface of the reservoir under control and hunts. Smoothies live in stagnant water or in bodies of water with slow currents. The water bug can also be found in large puddles and large containers of water.
The insect lies in wait for its prey on stones or plants, and when it approaches the bug very close, it grabs it with its front paws and pulls it to its mouth. All aquatic insects feed almost the same. They insert their proboscis into the body of their prey and inject it with special substances that promote internal decomposition of organs. After this, the insects suck out the resulting liquid.
What are water bugs afraid of?
Despite the fact that bedbugs are predators, they can become someone's prey. However, their light back and dark belly, which changes color depending on the bottom of the reservoir, allow the insect to be invisible from the depths of the pond and from above for flying birds.
Are they dangerous to humans?
Water bugs do not pose any danger to people. If an insect bites a person, it will be nothing more than just protection. If a person approaches an insect, it can pretend to be dead or can scare away a potential enemy by throwing out its odorous secretion on him.
Water bugs migrate in the spring, seeking out new water reservoirs. This is why huge flocks of smoothies can stumble upon people. Since their flight speed is very high, such collisions are very unpleasant.
Water bug bite
The water bug is often called "water bee", since their bite is similar to the sensation after a bee sting. Most often, the bite occurs on the legs while swimming in ponds. As a rule, bedbugs bite a person if he tries to show curiosity about the insect by picking it up. If, after all, a bug bites a person, then there is no need to panic. Although the bite is painful, it does not cause any harm to health. Blisters and wounds appear at the site of the bite, which do not heal for a long time.
Water bugs, unlike bed bugs, as mentioned above, are completely safe for humans. Among them there are three main types:
- The water strider is found in absolutely all freshwater bodies of water and even puddles. These insects move quickly along the surface of the water. Their thin body looks like a stick. The water strider has three pairs of legs.
- Greblyak. The body of this species reaches a length of no more than 15 mm. Males use tubercles on their paws to make unique sounds to attract females. You can often get scared because these insects suddenly fly out of the water. Paddlers are active not only in summer, but also in winter.
- Gladysh is the insect discussed above. The size of the insect does not exceed 15 mm. It differs from other species by its flat belly, which is darker in color than the wings. If you touch a bug with your hand, it can sting, which is why it is also called a wasp.
- Belostoma is the largest water bug. It reaches 17 cm in length.
Giant belostoma bug
The number of giant water bugs in the world is insignificant. As a rule, white stoma can be found in southeast Asia in South Africa. Water bugs look quite scary, as they reach 17 centimeters in length.
Description of the belostomy:
- The insect has large front legs that look very similar to the claws of a crab.
- The eyes are large and mesh.
- The body of Belostoma has an oblong shape, the color can be brown or black.
- The insect has long antennae.
Due to its impressive size and the unique structure of its front legs, the Belostoma preys on frogs, turtles and fish. These water giants are also predators that can wait for their prey for a long time.
Bedbugs belong to the order Hemiptera; among its representatives there are families that live in water and on land. In the tropical latitudes of Asia and America, a water bug of gigantic size is found. Adults reach 15 cm in length. This is a merciless predator that attacks young fish, frogs, snakes and turtles. The insect's impressive size and forelimbs, curved in the shape of ticks, give the insect a terrifying appearance. Water bugs living in Russian ponds are significantly smaller in size. But they are no less aggressive predators, attacking larvae, crustaceans and fry.
Variety of water bugs
Representatives of the order Hemiptera have mastered not only the land, but also the water surface. In the still waters of a lake or swamp, you can see insects deftly sliding along the surface. This water strider is one of the representatives of the water bug family. Its characteristic feature is long legs covered with microscopic hairs and an elongated body. There are wingless and winged individuals. Larvae serve as food for them. Insects are widespread. They can be seen not only in large bodies of water, but also in puddles.
The water strider is one of the representatives of the water bug family
Gladysh is also a typical inhabitant of reservoirs. He is an excellent swimmer who has mastered a special technique - backstroke. Its stability on water is ensured by its special body structure and powerful hind limbs. The ability to breathe is provided by a small air bubble attached to the abdomen. The bug actively searches for food; it eats eggs, larvae, tadpoles and insects. Smooth size – 15 mm. The back of the insect is colored light gray, and the abdomen is brownish.
This is camouflage that allows you to remain invisible to ducks and other waterfowl. The bug does not attack humans, but if threatened, it bites. The pain is comparable to a wasp sting.
Information. If the food supply in the reservoir runs out, the smooth fish flies to another habitat.
The comb bug is a small aquatic bug that lives in temperate climates. When diving, it retains a supply of air under its elytra. The paddlefish is a predator; its diet consists of eggs and hatched larvae. The insect has a special musical apparatus; when the teeth on the leg segment are rubbed, it produces a chirping sound. small insect often becomes a victim of larger predatory relatives.
Appearance of belostomy
Close relatives of smoothies are representatives of the Belostomatidae family. The giant water bug is 10 times larger than the usual inhabitants of Russian lakes. The length of its body is 15 cm. The shape of the body is flat and elongated, this helps to move through the water. The mouthparts are of the piercing-sucking type, traditional for this family. The proboscis is attached to the front of the head. The short, curved organ resembles a beak. The eyes are large, reticulated, and the antennae are segmented. Body color is dark or light brown.
The front wings of bedbugs are half-hard and leathery. The hind ones are transparent, thin, shorter than the front ones. In a calm state, they are folded and cover the abdomen. During periods of drought, white stomas leave the ponds and fly in search of a new home. The body of bedbugs is protected by a chitinous covering. The hind legs are designed for swimming; they are covered with hairs that increase the raking surface. The forelimbs are shorter and more powerful than the rest. They end in a claw. This structure provides the ability to grab and hold prey during the insertion of the proboscis. At the end of the insect's abdomen there are two breathing tubes. Organ small size does not allow for a large supply of air. To inhale oxygen, bedbugs have to raise the back of their body above the water.
Habitats
Giant insects prefer shallow bodies of water with standing water or weak currents. The water warms up well and there is a lot of vegetation and inhabitants. Belostom can be found in South and East Asia, Japan, South America, North Africa and Far East. They live in fresh water, sometimes carried by channels to the sea coast. In Japan, waterbugs live in rice fields. Florida residents gave them the nickname "Alligator Ticks."
Information. A large number of Predatory belostoma harm fish farming. Water bugs eat the fry.
Lifestyle
Belostoma is a predator, its diet includes reptiles, fish, insects - everything that it can catch and kill. Even though insects breathe air, they spend most of their lives underwater. The bug prefers to hunt from ambush in shallow water. It lies in wait for its prey, hiding among stones or plants. The dark body perfectly camouflages the predator. The giant sits patiently, waiting for prey to swim by.
Sensitive elements on the paws allow you to sense its approach. The insect quickly catches the victim with its claw-like forelimbs. The skin of the prey is pierced with a proboscis, through which a paralyzing substance is injected, stopping resistance. Then a gastric enzyme is injected, which dilutes internal organs. After some time, the bug sucks out the contents of the victim’s body.
Information. In Japan, for a long time they did not know who was destroying three-keeled turtles, leaving the shell intact. The observation of a giant water bug provided a solution to this mystery.
Insects spend the winter on land. It hibernates under bark and foliage, in the crevices of stumps and trees. A state of suspended animation helps to survive the cold and lack of food, in which all life processes slow down as much as possible. In the spring, after the air and water temperatures rise, they wake up. Hungry bugs begin to actively feed. It's breeding season for insects.
Hunting for giants
Belost is attracted to electric light; at night, bugs fly to burning lighting. This property is used by insect catchers. At night, they set traps and turn on flashlights. In Southeast Asia, giant bedbugs are deep-fried and sold in markets. This dish, reminiscent of shrimp in taste, is served in restaurants in Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and China. Due to mass catching, the number of insects in some regions has dropped to critical levels.
If threatened, the belostoma water bug freezes, pretending to be dead. From the anus it releases an unpleasant-smelling liquid that scares away enemies.
The mating season occurs in spring. Males attract the opposite sex with pheromones. After fertilization, the female lays eggs on her partner's back. Over the course of several days, she uses a sticky secretion to glue about 100 eggs onto its elytra. The maturation period of embryos lasts about two weeks. Hemipteran insects are characterized by incomplete metamorphosis. They go through three stages: egg, nymph, adult.
The larval stage of bedbugs is called a nymph. During this period, the offspring look like adults, but are small in size. Belostomas emerge from eggs with a soft transparent body. Their cover will harden and become colored in a few hours. From the first days, nymphs actively feed. Their diet consists of crustaceans and insect larvae. They need nutrients for growth and molting. Before reaching sexual maturity, nymphs shed their chitinous shell several times, which has become cramped for them. at this stage. Each time, the larva’s body grows, genital organs form, and wings appear. It takes about a month for a water bug larva to develop into an adult.
Caring for offspring
The male Belostoma shows parental care for future offspring. He not only carries the eggs, but also monitors their full development. Every day the bug comes to the surface to air baths, enriching with oxygen and preventing the appearance of fungi. While in the lake, the male circulates the water by rotating his hind limbs. This manipulation promotes uniform distribution of air between the rows of eggs.
While caring for the offspring, the male cannot hunt and almost stops feeding. It is vulnerable to other predators, so it leads a secretive lifestyle. Towards the end of the breeding season, the number of males decreases sharply. But the survival rate of eggs is high.
Assault on a person
The sight of a large insect with powerful pincers can cause panic in a swimmer, but do not be too frightened. Usually they match the size of their prey, so water bugs will not attack humans. However, Belostoma bites on the fingers and toes are not excluded. This happens if you step on an insect or grab it with your hands. Curious children often become victims of bites. The injected enzyme is not dangerous to human health, but the wound causes concern for several days. The introduced substance prevents overgrowth of the skin.
Often collision giant bug and humans occur on land. This happens during the migration of insects from one body of water to another. In spring and autumn, at night, hundreds of Belostomas leave for a new place of residence or wintering. The flight of giants is an impressive sight, but it is better to admire it from a distance.
Waterbugs are part of the natural food chain. Predators that eat fish seem like pests to people. But they also kill insect larvae, limiting mosquito numbers. In Asian countries, giant white stomas eat amphibians that damage rice crops. As a result of uncontrolled fishing in Japan, one of the Belostomatidae species is listed in the Red Book.
