Belostomatidae

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Belostomatidae
Temporal range: Late Triassic to present
Belostomatidae HuntingtonVT.jpg
Lethocerus americanus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Infraorder: Nepomorpha
Family: Belostomatidae
Leach, 1815

Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs (because they fly to lights in large numbers), alligator ticks, or alligator fleas (in Florida). They are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera. [1] 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. [2] 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. [1] [3] [4] Giant water bugs are a popular food in parts of Asia. [5]

Contents

The oldest fossil member of this family is Triassonepa from the Late Triassic-aged Cow Branch Formation of Virginia & North Carolina, USA. [6]

Morphology

The largest Hemiptera in the world are Lethocerus (L. oculatus shown) Giant water bug (Belostomatidae), Vohimana reserve, Madagascar (13569458513).jpg
The largest Hemiptera in the world are Lethocerus ( L. oculatus shown)

Belostomatids have a flattened, obovoid to ovoid-elongate body, and usually the legs are flattened. [4] The head features two large compound eyes, but lacks ocelli, contrasting with many hemipterans. Short antennae are tucked in grooves behind the eyes. A short breathing tube can be retracted into its abdomen. [7] Adults cannot breathe under water, so must periodically place the breathing tube at the surface for air (similar to a snorkel). [8]

Their hind tarsi have two apical claws. The frontal legs are modified into raptorial appendages that they use to grab their prey, except in the African Limnogeton, which has "normal" forelegs and is a specialized snail-eater. [4] Once caught, the prey are stabbed with their proboscis and a powerful proteolytic [9] saliva is injected, allowing the Belostomatid to suck out the liquefied remains. [3] Wing pads can be seen from the dorsal view. While the members of the subfamily Lethocerinae can disperse by flying, [1] other species, including Abedus herberti, have a greatly reduced flight apparatus and are flightless. [2] [10] Giant Water Bugs exhibit muscle regression as they develop from nymphs to adults, adapting their musculature for a more energy-efficient predatory lifestyle, which may influence their hunting strategies and ecological interactions. [11]

Subfamilies and genera

BioLib lists three extant subfamilies and a number of fossil taxa:

Belostomatinae

Auth. Leach, 1815

  1. Abedus Stål, 1862
  2. Appasus Amyot & Serville, 1843
  3. Belostoma Latreille, 1807
  4. Diplonychus Laporte de Castelnau, 1833 (synonym Sphaerodema Laporte, 1833)
  5. Hydrocyrius Spinola, 1850 (synonym Poissonia Brown, 1948)
  6. Limnogeton Mayr, 1853
  7. Weberiella De Carlo, 1966

Horvathiniinae

Auth. Lauck & Menke, 1961; South America

  1. Horvathinia Montandon, 1911

Lethocerinae

Auth. Lauck & Menke, 1961

  1. Benacus Stål, 1861
  2. Kirkaldyia Montandon, 1909
  3. Lethocerus Mayr, 1853

Fossil taxa

subfamily Stygeonepinae Popov, 1971 †

  1. Aenictobelostoma Polhemus, 2000 †
  2. Belostomates Schöberlin, 1888 †
  3. Lethopterus Popov, 1989 †
  4. Manocerus Zhang, 1989 †
  5. Scarabaeides Germar, 1839 †
  6. Triassonepa Criscione & Grimaldi, 2017 †

Habits

Male Abedus herberti with eggs on his back Abedus herberti.jpg
Male Abedus herberti with eggs on his back

Feeding and defense

Belostomatids are aggressive predators that stalk, capture, and feed on fish, amphibians, as well as aquatic invertebrates such as snails and crustaceans. The largest species have also been found to capture and feed on baby turtles and water snakes. [12] They often lie motionless at the bottom of a body of water, attached to various objects, where they wait for prey to come near. They then strike, injecting a venomous digestive saliva with their rostrum. Although their sting is excruciatingly painful, it is of no medical significance. [8] Occasionally, when encountered by a larger animal or a human, they have been known to "play dead" and most species can emit a fluid from their anus. [4] [8] Due to this, they are assumed dead by humans only to later "come alive" with painful results. [8]

Breeding

Male (red tag) and female (blue tag) Abedus copulating Abedus roems.jpg
Male (red tag) and female (blue tag) Abedus copulating

Belostomatids show paternal care and these aspects have been studied extensively, among others involving the North American Belostoma flumineum and the East Asian Lethocerus (Kirkaldyia) deyrollei . In species of the subfamily Belostomatinae, the eggs are typically laid on the male's wings and carried until they hatch. The male cannot mate during this period. The males invest considerable time and energy in reproduction and females take the role of actively finding males to mate. This role reversal matches the predictions of R. L. Trivers' parental investment theory. In the subfamily Lethocerinae, the eggs are laid on emergent vegetation and guarded by the male. [13]

In Asian cuisine

Fried giant water bugs at a market in Thailand Giant water bugs on plate.png
Fried giant water bugs at a market in Thailand

Belostomatids can be found for sale in markets mainly in Southeast Asia involving the species Lethocerus indicus . [5] In Southeast Asia they are often collected for this purpose using large floating traps on ponds, set with black lights to attract the bugs. Adults fly at night, like many aquatic insects, and are attracted to lights during the breeding season.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemiptera</span> Order of insects often called true bugs

Hemiptera is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from 1 mm (0.04 in) to around 15 cm (6 in), and share a common arrangement of piercing-sucking mouthparts. The name "true bugs" is often limited to the suborder Heteroptera.

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

Nepidae is a family of exclusively aquatic Heteropteran insects in the order Hemiptera. They are commonly called water scorpions for their superficial resemblance to scorpions, due to their raptorial forelegs and the presence of a long slender process at the posterior end of the abdomen, resembling a tail. There are 14 genera in the family, in two subfamilies, Nepinae and Ranatrinae. Members of the genus Ranatra, the most widespread and species-rich genus, are sometimes called needle bugs or water stick insects as they are slenderer than Nepa.

<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.

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

Naucoridae is a small family of insects commonly known as the creeping water bugs and saucer bugs. They are similar in appearance and behavior to Belostomatidae, but considerably smaller, at 0.5–2 cm (0.2–0.8 in) long. Naucoridae are found around the world, but the greatest diversity is in tropical regions. They inhabit a wide range of freshwater habitats, ranging from still waters like ponds, to flowing rivers and even torrential streams. There are about 400 species in 46 genera in 8 subfamilies.

<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 monotypic Kirkaldyia. They are large, predatory and nocturnal insects. They are one of the best known giant water bugs and are found in India,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, sometimes called the electric light bug, toe biter or fish killer, 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>Appasus</i> Genus of true bugs

Appasus is a genus of giant water bugs found in freshwater habitats in Asia and Africa.

<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 insulanus</i> Species of true bug

Lethocerus insulanus is a species of giant water bug of the family Belostomatidae. Its common name is the Australian giant water bug, but it is also called the electric light bug or giant fishkiller. These names are also used for various other members of the family, including the other Australian species, L. distinctifemur, which is similar to L. insulanus.

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

Abedus herberti, the toe biter or ferocious water bug, is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is native to streams, especially in highlands, in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah in the United States and in northwestern Mexico. Adults are typically 2 to 4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long. The species is flightless, but may move overland between water sources. It will bite in self-defense, which is painful but not dangerous.

<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 testaceum is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is found in the eastern United States from New York south to southern Florida and west to Texas and Michigan.

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

Lethocerus medius is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is found in Central America from northern Panama north throughout Mexico to southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, and Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 P. J. Perez-Goodwyn (2006). "Taxonomic revision of the subfamily Lethocerinae Lauck & Menke (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae)". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie A (Biologie). 695: 1–71.
  2. 1 2 J.H. Thorp; D.C. Rogers, eds. (2015). Thorp and Covich's Freshwater Invertebrates: Ecology and General Biology. Vol. 1 (4 ed.). Elsevier. pp. 954–955. ISBN   978-0-12-385026-3.
  3. 1 2 Haddad, V.; Schwartz, E.F.; Schwartz, C.A.; Carvalho, C.N. (2010). "Bites caused by giant water bugs belonging to Belostomatidae family (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) in humans: A report of seven cases". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 21 (2): 130–133. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2010.01.002. PMID   20591375.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Randall T. Schuh; James Alexander Slater (1996). True Bugs of the World (Hemiptera:Heteroptera): Classification and Natural History (2 ed.). Cornell University Press. pp. 111–114. ISBN   978-0801420665.
  5. 1 2 Mitsuhashi, J. (2017). Edible Insects of the World. CRC Press. ISBN   978-1-4987-5657-0.
  6. ↑ Criscione, Julia; Grimaldi, David (2017-11-01). "The oldest predaceous water bugs (Insecta, Heteroptera, Belostomatidae), with implications for paleolimnology of the Triassic Cow Branch Formation". Journal of Paleontology. 91: 1166–1177. doi:10.1017/jpa.2017.48.
  7. ↑ Merritt, R.W. (2008). An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Company.
  8. 1 2 3 4 A. C. Huntley (1998). "Lethocerus americanus, the "toe biter"". Dermatology Online Journal . 4 (2): 6. PMID   10328676.
  9. ↑ Swart, C. C.; Deaton, L. E.; Felgenhauer, B. E. (2006). "The salivary gland and salivary enzymes of the giant waterbugs (Heteroptera; Belostomatidae)". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 145 (1): 114–122. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.05.010. PMID   16844394.
  10. ↑ Phillipsen. I.C.; Kirk, E.H.; Bogan, M.T.; Mims, M.C.; Olden, J.D.; Lytle, D.A. (2015). "Dispersal ability and habitat requirements determine landscape-level genetic patterns in desert aquatic insects". Molecular Ecology. 24 (1): 54–69. Bibcode:2015MolEc..24...54P. doi:10.1111/mec.13003. PMID   25402260. S2CID   1391038.
  11. ↑ Perez Goodwyn, Pablo J. “Muscle Regression in Belostomatid Bugs (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae).” Aquatic Insects, vol. 23, no. 1, 2001, pp. 23–32, https://doi.org/10.1076/aqin.23.1.23.4927
  12. ↑ "BBC Nature - Giant water bug photographed devouring baby turtle". BBC Nature.
  13. ↑ Robert L. Smith (1997). "Evolution of paternal care in the giant water bugs (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae)". In Jae C. Choe & Bernard J. Crespi (eds.). The Evolution of Social Behavior in Insects and Arachnids Sociality . Cambridge University Press. pp.  116–149. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511721953.007. ISBN   978-0-511-72195-3.

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