Belostoma testaceum

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Belostoma testaceum
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Belostomatidae
Genus: Belostoma
Species:
B. testaceum
Binomial name
Belostoma testaceum
(Leidy, 1847)

Belostoma testaceum is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. [1] [2] [3] It is found in the eastern United States from New York south to southern Florida and west to Texas and Michigan. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belostomatidae</span> Family of true bugs

Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs, alligator ticks, or alligator fleas. They are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera. There are about 170 species found in freshwater habitats worldwide, with more than 110 in the Neotropics, more than 20 in Africa, almost as many in the Nearctic, and far fewer elsewhere. These predators are typically encountered in freshwater ponds, marshes and slow-flowing streams. Most species are at least 2 cm (0.8 in) long, although smaller species, down to 0.9 cm (0.35 in), also exist. The largest are members of the genus Lethocerus, which can exceed 12 cm (4.5 in) and nearly reach the length of some of the largest beetles in the world. Giant water bugs are a popular food in parts of Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nepomorpha</span> Infraorder of true bugs

Nepomorpha is an infraorder of insects in the "true bug" order (Hemiptera). They belong to the "typical" bugs of the suborder Heteroptera. Due to their aquatic habits, these animals are known as true water bugs. They occur all over the world outside the polar regions, with about 2,000 species altogether. The Nepomorpha can be distinguished from related Heteroptera by their missing or vestigial ocelli. Also, as referred to by the obsolete name Cryptocerata, their antennae are reduced, with weak muscles, and usually carried tucked against the head.

<i>Lethocerus indicus</i> Species of true bug

Lethocerus indicus is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeast China, the Ryukyu Islands, and New Guinea. It was originally described as Belostoma indicum but is no longer placed in that genus.

<i>Lethocerus deyrollei</i> Species of true bug

Lethocerus deyrollei is a species of giant water bug that traditionally is included in the genus Lethocerus, although recent authorities place it in the Kirkaldyia. They are large, predatory and nocturnal insects. They are one of the best known giant water bugs and are found in Japan, Korea, east China, east Indochina and the Amur region of Russia. They are very common in much of their range, but have declined drastically in some regions and are considered threatened in Japan and Korea. They live in still waters with vegetation, hatching in the summer months and then overwintering half a year later as adults. They primarily feed on small fish, amphibians and aquatic insects, but have also been recorded taking water snakes and young turtles.

<i>Lethocerus</i> Genus of true bugs

Lethocerus is a genus of the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, known colloquially as giant water bugs, toe biters and electric light bugs, distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas of the world. The greatest diversity of species occurs in the Americas, with only a single species in Europe, two in Africa, two in Australia and three in Asia. It includes the largest true bugs with species capable of reaching a length of over 12 centimetres (4.7 in). The South American L. grandis and L. maximus are the only species to commonly exceed 9 cm (3.5 in), with more typical lengths for the remaining species being between 4.5 and 9 cm. Lethocerus sp. are distinguished from other genera in the Lethocerinae by two symmetrical furrows in the inner pad of setae on the fore femur, the external borders of parasternites II and III narrowed and nearly straight, and with the setae of the tarsomeres following the line of the tibial setae.

<i>Lethocerus americanus</i> Species of true bug

Lethocerus americanus is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to southern Canada and the United States. It typically has a length around 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in). It was originally classified as a species in genus Belostoma.

<i>Abedus</i> Genus of true bugs

Abedus is a genus of giant water bugs found in freshwater habitats in southern United States, Mexico and Central America. Sometimes called ferocious water bugs, these brown insects typically are between 2.3 and 4 cm (0.9–1.6 in) long, although A. immaculatus only is about 1.3–1.4 cm (0.51–0.55 in), making it the smallest North American belostomatid and possibly worthy of separation in its own genus. Otherwise the different Abedus species are very similar and can often only be separated with a microscope. They will bite in self-defense, which is painful but not dangerous.

<i>Belostoma flumineum</i> Species of true bug

Belostoma flumineum is a North American species of giant water bug. They are a common predator in ponds and wetlands. They are relatively large, reaching 2–2.5 cm (0.79–0.98 in) in length. As with other species of the Belostomatidae family, the fathers take care of the offspring. Exclusive paternal care has been the focus of many studies done on this species. Other studies have been done on food webs and predation pressure using this species because they are an apex predator in their preferred habitats.

<i>Lethocerus patruelis</i> Species of true bug

Lethocerus patruelis is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is native to southeastern Europe, through Southwest Asia, to Pakistan, India and Burma. It is the largest European true bug and aquatic insect. Adult females are typically 7–8 cm (2.8–3.1 in) long, while the adult males are 6–7 cm (2.4–2.8 in).

<i>Belostoma</i> Genus of true bugs

Belostoma is a genus of insects in the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, known colloquially as giant water bugs. Members of this genus are native to freshwater habitats in the Americas, with the greatest species richness in tropical South America. Most species in the family Belostomatidae have historically been included in Belostoma, but several of these have been moved to other genera. 9 species are claimed to be found in Northern America, but the genus Belostoma is actually divided into 16 subgroups containing about 70 species.

<i>Procambarus acutus</i> Species of crayfish

Procambarus acutus, the white river crayfish, is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is found in North America and Europe.

<i>Lethocerus uhleri</i> Species of true bug

Lethocerus uhleri, or Uhler's water bug, is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is found in eastern North America from New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin south to Florida and northern Tamaulipas.

Belostoma bakeri is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

<i>Aquarius conformis</i> Species of true bug

Aquarius conformis is a species of water strider in the family Gerridae. It is found in eastern North America from Quebec west to Wisconsin and south to Florida and Mexico.

<i>Pelocoris balius</i> Species of true bug

Pelocoris balius is a species of creeping water bug in the family Naucoridae. It is found in Florida. In the Everglades, P. balius is locally common in shorter hydroperiod sites.

<i>Abedus immaculatus</i> Species of true bug

Abedus immaculatus is a species of water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is the only Abedus species found in the eastern United States, occurring throughout Florida north into Georgia and west along the Gulf Coast to Mississippi.

<i>Benacus</i> (bug) Genus of true bugs

Benacus is a genus of giant water bug in the hemipteran family Belostomatidae. Benacus is a monotypic genus, containing a single species, B. griseus, which is found in North America. Benacus was formerly considered a subgenus of Lethocerus.

<i>Benacus griseus</i> Species of true bug

Benacus griseus is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is the only species in the genus Benacus, which was formerly considered a subgenus of Lethocerus.

<i>Belostoma minor</i> Species of true bug

Belostoma minor is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is found in the northern Caribbean bioregion, with records in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and southern Florida in the continental United States.

<i>Mesovelia polhemusi</i> Species of true bug

Mesovelia polhemusi is a species of water treader in the family Mesoveliidae. It was originally described from Belize and has since been found in southern Florida.

References

  1. "Belostoma testaceum Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  2. "Belostoma testaceum". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  3. Pintar, Matthew R. (2023). "Two new records of aquatic Hemiptera (Belostomatidae, Mesoveliidae) from southern Florida, with keys to the genera Belostoma Latreille, 1807 and Mesovelia Mulsant and Rey, 1852 in Florida and the northern Caribbean" (PDF). Aquatic Insects. 44 (1): 36–51. doi:10.1080/01650424.2022.2070218.
  4. Henry, Thomas J.; Froeschner, Richard C., eds. (1988). Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs, of Canada and the Continental United States. Boca Raton, FL: St. Lucie Press. p. 53. ISBN   978-1-315-89134-7.