What you need to know about water bugs. Giant water bug: a description of where it lives and what it eats

The water bug is one of the numerous inhabitants of various water bodies, which are characterized by a slow current or stagnant water. Their population can be found all over the world. These insects belong to the category of predators that feed on weaker individuals living in the water.

The presence of a water bug in the reservoir allows you to effectively regulate the number of small insects. They can also prey on the larvae laid by mosquitoes, which can reduce their population. These insects show maximum activity in summer, spending almost all the time in the water.

Adults may have various sizes- they vary from 15 mm to 17 cm. It all depends on the variety of insects.

In our area you can find the following types of water bugs:

water strider;
smooth;
belostomy;
rower.

water strider

Water bug "Vodomerka"

A water strider is a water bug, the description of which resembles a small (up to 1 centimeter) dragonfly without wings, living in aquatic environment. In addition to moving on the surface of the water, some representatives of the water strider can fly. Thus, they search for food and new places of residence.

The water strider feeds on small larvae, which are laid by other insects. They themselves can become victims of larger representatives of bedbugs, as well as small birds.

Large individuals can be found in places with tropical climatic conditions.

This water bug is poisonous - its bite is quite noticeable, and under certain circumstances a person may develop an allergic reaction.

Gladysh

Water bug "Gladysh"

The smooth water bug has a body that resembles a small boat in shape. Its front legs are adapted in such a way as to capture and hold prey securely.

The rear ones are designed for movement - they are used as oars. The smooth bug rakes in water with them, which allows it to move at a fairly high speed.

This insect swims belly up - this allows it to scan the surface of the water in search of larvae and small insects that can become its food. A good outlook for the bug is provided by its eyes, which are quite large in relation to the head.

The insect has a well-developed wing system, which allows it to make fairly long flights between water bodies. The color of the wings is light - it allows you to disguise yourself from fish. The belly, with which he swims to the top, has a black color - thanks to this, birds do not see him.

Smooth is an insect water bug that has piercing-sucking mouthparts. With its help, he makes a puncture of his victim and gradually sucks out its contents.

Greblyak

Water bug "Greblyak"

This insect is quite different small size body - only 2 cm. Its main habitat is the surface of the reservoir. Where the rowing water bug lives, you can often hear loud enough sounds that are made by males to attract a female to them.

The rower feeds on plankton, and it can often become food for fish or birds.

Belostoma

Water bug "Belostoma"

This is the largest water bug that prefers to live in tropical regions. Its population is not found in our country, you can see a giant water bug only in the photo.

An adult can reach up to 15 cm. Its body has a flat, elongated shape. The front paws, which have special hooks, are used to capture prey, while the hind legs are designed to swim.

Reproduction of water bugs

The female water bug lays eggs under water. She places them in the bases of plants and algae, which the reservoir is rich in. The larvae hatch after two weeks, after four molts they will turn into an adult.

Water striders also lay their eggs underwater. After the larvae hatch, they will have to go through four stages of molting in order to turn into a full-fledged adult.

The females of the rower lay their eggs in an empty shell or in the ground. Their size is about 2 mm. The larvae are born in early June or late July. Before the transformation into an adult occurs, three molts will pass.

The most amusing breeding method is the water bug Belostomatidae. The fact is that the male water bug plays the role of an incubator in which the female will lay her eggs. She does this right on the back of the male, and he is forced to wear them on himself until the larvae hatch. A water bug with eggs on its back is a rather funny sight, but in this way insects protect their offspring.

Human danger

To the question of whether the water bug is dangerous for humans, it is safe to say that it is not. But this is only true if you do not touch it.

In nature, a person is not an end in itself for a bug, he has other objects for food and he does not have to bite people. True, if disturbed, then for the purpose of self-defense, he can bite, releasing a small portion of poison under the skin.

Belostoma water bugs bite very often when they are carrying their eggs. This is especially true for males who transport them on their backs. They also do not pose a particular danger to human health.

If the danger is felt by a water bug, a human bite will be inevitable. You can do this not on purpose, for example, while swimming in a pond, fishing, etc. But, the insect does not know this and perceives these actions as an attack on itself, which leads to a defensive reaction in the form of a bite.

If a smooth water bug bites, the bite will look like a red spot with clear edges. By the strength of the bite, it resembles a bee or a wasp, even weaker. After redness, a slight swelling or a small blister may form, which can be burned with brilliant green.

Also, the wound can be treated with various gels that are used against mosquito bites, ticks and bedbugs. These drugs will relieve itching and speed up the healing process.

For example:

How to get rid of a water bug?

Since the water bug is dangerous to humans only when it is attacked, it does not make sense to get rid of it by any means. It mainly stays near water bodies, where it reduces the population of mosquitoes and various small insects. It does more good than harm.

If the insect still got into the house, then you can simply sweep it into a bag and remove it from the room. It is better not to touch it with your hands - it can bite.

Conclusion

Varieties of the water bug, which are typical for our region, are completely safe for humans. Of course, they can sting a person who, through negligence or ignorance, disturbs this insect. But, even after a bite, there will be no great danger to a person.

Water bugs represent a fairly large family that lives mainly in stagnant reservoirs or rivers with a weak current. These are predatory insects, with the help of a piercing-sucking apparatus, they suck the juices from their prey. Some species have wings that allow them to find a new home. The water strider and smoothie are the most famous water bugs.

REFERENCE: Gladysh is called a musician, he rubs his front paws on his trunk and makes sounds similar to chirping.

water bug smooth

The most interesting information about water bugs.

Appearance

How to find out:

Smooth streamlined body;
Flat abdomen;
The two hind legs are much longer than the other two pairs. The rear pair is called rowing, serves as “oars” for moving through the water;
Can change color: from light to dark brown.

Water bug: types and dangers:

Behavioral features

What smoothies can do:

On the water surface, the bug glides on its smooth shell. Thanks to this position, he is able to breathe atmospheric air through special holes. Before diving, the smooth one gains the necessary air supply and special plates close the holes;
These representatives are excellent swimmers. long time are not in the water;
The presence of disguise allows the smooth to hide from their enemies and at the same time quietly sneak up on the victims.

Where does he live?

Habitat:

Inhabits stagnant closed water bodies;
Can settle in a puddle and a barrel of water.

Prefers places where there is enough food. Able to travel long distances in flight in search of food. Flights only at night.

Nutrition

Feeds on insects or small fish. However, it can also become a victim of fish and birds. But nature protected the insects, rewarding them with a light back and a dark belly.

Offspring

Egg laying occurs at the bottom or on that part of the plant that is under water. After 14 days, larvae hatch, similar in appearance to adults, but slightly lighter.

Human danger

ATTENTION: If you try to take the bug in your hands, it can bite painfully. The bite site hurts for a long time and even fester.

Gladysh does not show aggression towards humans. When meeting him, he pretends to be dead or emits a smelly liquid as a defense.

Bedbug water strider

In nature, there are approximately 700 species of water striders, of different colors and different lifestyles.

How to find out

Appearance:

Size from 1 to 3 millimeters;
Outwardly, it resembles a small stick;
Three pairs of legs of various lengths;
The front ones are the shortest. With their help, the bug captures food, and also regulates the speed of movement in the reservoir. The middle and back pairs are needed to jump and play the role of a turning mechanism;
On the head there are antennae, which are the organs of touch and smell;
Some species have wings. Without them, bedbugs cannot change their habitat.;
Coloration from light gray to dark brown. Does not have bright and conspicuous patterns.

Behavioral features

On the paws there are microscopic hairs that allow the insect to stay perfectly on the water surface. The abdomen contains a wax-like water-repellent liquid that prevents the smoothness from drowning. With the help of special antennae, it picks up the slightest fluctuations in the water.

Insect habitats

The distribution area is determined by their varieties. Most prefer stagnant water bodies with abundant vegetation.

Video about why water strider bugs do not sink in water:

What does the water strider bug eat?

The main diet of water striders is:

Insects;
Fish caviar;
Fry;
Alien eggs.

How to hunt:

Sets up an ambush at the water's edge;
With the help of large eyes, he notices the victim;

REFERENCE: Basically, they go hunting in a group consisting of three or four bedbugs. This allows them to attack horseflies, which are much larger.

Grabs her tenacious front paws;
Proboscis attacks prey.

Offspring

The ontogenesis of the water strider is quite long and takes 12 months:

The female lays eggs on leaves and stems of aquatic vegetation in groups of 40 to 50;
Two weeks later, larvae appear that look like adults;
In a month they become adult water striders.

REFERENCE: With the onset of cold weather, they fall into hypernation. As soon as it warms up, they start breeding.

Human danger

Water striders will never attack a person, but they can sting quite painfully in defense.

Giant bugs - who are they

The population of this species on Earth is not too large. Found in Southeast Asia and South Africa. Appearance:

Large front paws, similar to claws of cancer;
Large mesh eyes;
oblong body;
Coloring from brown to black;
Long mustache.

Water bug:

The harm and benefits of giant water bugs

Since the giant bug is a predatory insect, it regulates the number of amphibians and insects on Earth. But it also causes damage to fisheries by eating young animals that are released into reservoirs.

Everything in nature is interconnected, from microorganisms to large animals. Water bugs do not pose any danger to humans. Do not pick it up, so as not to provoke an insect.

Interesting video:

The encyclopedia contains more than 40 thousand varieties of bedbugs. Some are dangerous to humans, others are completely harmless. Today we offer to get acquainted with one of the representatives of this class - a giant smooth water bug. From the proposed publication, you will find out whether it poses a danger to humans (is its bite dangerous), where it lives and what it eats, and you will also see a photo of the insect.

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Giant water bug

The giant smooth water bug (Notonecta) belongs to the family of Hemiptera. According to the description in the encyclopedia, the largest are the hind legs, with the help of which it is able to stay on and under the surface of the water, as well as move very quickly along the water surface. There are several varieties of water bugs:

After a hearty meal, he hides in aquatic vegetation to hide from predators. When hunting, he prefers to act openly, without resorting to tricks in the form of an ambush (usually hunts with his back down). Its fellow giant belostom beetle preys on small fish, tadpoles and fry, but it is impossible to meet it in our latitudes - it is a resident of North America (you can also see it in the presented photos).

What are smooth water bugs afraid of?

A giant smooth water bug can often become a victim itself - a bird or an ordinary fish can attack it (you can see the photo). The man also did not stand aside - in Thai restaurants you can often find dishes from these insects.

Are water bugs dangerous to humans or not?

A giant smooth often does not pose a particular danger to humans, however, in case of danger, it is able to sting (bites if disturbed during rest or can attack if picked up). The bite is very painful, in terms of pain threshold it resembles a bee sting, which is why in Germany it has the corresponding name “water bee” or “water scorpion”. The most curious suffer from his bites, i.e. children who try to pick him up, while he himself can rarely attack if we are talking about a human. An aggressive reaction to an insect bite is manifested only in allergy sufferers, for other people it is completely safe.

Water bug bite photo

A giant water smoothness bites a person only in case of danger - it can attack if it is disturbed during sleep (usually this happens while swimming in ponds, the bather's arms and legs are the most vulnerable places) or picked up. The bite site turns red and a slight swelling appears (by analogy with a bee or wasp sting, blisters may appear), it is recommended to cauterize with brilliant green. The bite site returns to normal in a week, after which there is no trace left. In the photo you can see in more detail the appearance of the contact point.

How to get rid

How to get rid of a water bug and what to do if it appears - an actual request on the network, but not relevant in the light of reality. This insect does not harm a person, if it is not disturbed in vain, it will not attack. Gladysh prefers open reservoirs with stagnant water, where you can profit from insects or their larvae. Its appearance is more beneficial than harmful - they will save you from such trouble as annoying mosquitoes. Therefore, it makes no sense to look for measures to destroy (how to get rid of) these insects, but if trouble happened and the smoothness flew into an apartment or house, you can simply throw it out through a window or balcony. By the way, the Smooth is an excellent flyer, but he prefers to move at night, sometimes he can settle in a small puddle or a barrel of water (it can be clearly seen in the photo).

Someone is used to seeing bedbugs peacefully swarming under the roots of trees (bugs-soldiers), and someone knows them as malicious pests of grain fields, flowers and seedlings (for example,). Some have to endure their presence in own house (bed bugs). But the fact that there are also water bugs (smooth, including giant ones) would be a discovery for many. Moreover, this is not a single species, but a whole group of insects - Hydrocores, and it deserves special attention.

Generally speaking, bedbugs from different families are quite different from each other. Each insect is unique in its own way, but there are also truly extraordinary specimens. For example, some water bugs are also excellent fliers. How do they manage to exist in two elements at once - water and air?

So, get acquainted - a water bug or a smooth surface.

You can't confuse a smoothie with anyone

Take a closer look at the photo of the smooth bug. It absolutely lives up to its name:

His body, in fact, is smooth and streamlined, reminiscent of a boat, deftly and incredibly quickly dissecting the water column. The water bug also has two powerful “oars” - this is the back pair of legs. They are much larger than the rest of the limbs and bear elastic bristles. It is enough for a water bug to make a few strokes of the “oars” - and it has already advanced a considerable distance.

This species of Hemiptera prefers bodies of water with stagnant water. But it is not at all necessary to be near lakes or ponds to see this water bug, because the smooth one settles in any puddle or in a barrel standing in the garden, and can even end up on the veranda in the evening, attracted by the light of a lamp.

The water bug is capable of quite long flights. This insect rises into the air at night, as a rule, with one purpose: to find a reservoir rich in food. The fulfillment of this important mission in smooth bugs is served by dense brown elytra and delicate membranous wings of a transparent color.

Two large (by the standards of an insect) eyes attract attention. No one escapes the penetrating gaze of an aquatic predator.

Like all bedbugs, the smooth-skinned bug has piercing-sucking mouthparts. Having overtaken the victim, the water bug tenaciously holds it with its forelimbs, pierces its shell, injects a digestive enzyme during the bite and sucks the juice out of it.

It is interesting

Water bugs cannot be called silent. Smooth male is a real musician. It scrapes its proboscis with its front pair of legs, making a sound similar to the chirping of grasshoppers.

The strange habits of the "water bee"

The bite of a water bug feels close to a bee sting. Therefore, the Germans came up with a very suitable nickname for the smoothie - Wasserbiene, which means "water bee".

The smooth bug has one oddity that distinguishes it from other insects living in the water. This water bug swims in a completely different way than most insects do. A large creature with spread wings changes beyond recognition when it finds itself in the water column.

When immersed, it turns upside down. It is this feature that helps representatives of the genus Notonecta to hunt. The water bug controls the surface of the pond, where it is easy to find small insects and their larvae.

But any predator, gaping, often turns out to be a victim. So smooth can easily be eaten by a bird or fish. True, nature gave him the opportunity to avoid a fatal meeting with the enemy. The back of the water bug is light, which makes it inconspicuous when viewed from the depths of the reservoir. The abdomen, on the other hand, is dark. Not every bird will make out a water bug against a dark bottom.

The smoothness of the bug hides its eggs securely. Groups of light yellow, circled eggs can be found in May at the bottom of a pond or attached to the bottom of underwater plants. They ripen for two weeks, and when the water is warm - faster.

Larvae, similar to the parents, only lighter, undergo four molts during the summer and reach sexual maturity. The chitinous cover remaining after molting repeats the outlines of the insect itself so exactly that it is easy to confuse it with a living individual.

Giant bedbugs are no joke

Gladysh is capable of causing serious damage not only to insects, but may well become the culprit in the death of small fish. What, then, to talk about giant water bugs, belostomes? They look menacing. Their powerful forelimbs resemble cancer claws and leave no hope that the prey will be able to escape from the stranglehold of a predator.

The impressive size of the giant water bug (more than 10 cm in length) allows it to attack rather large living creatures: frogs, turtles, fish. For the damage that water bugs cause to the inhabitants of reservoirs, they have earned the fame of "fish killers".

Fortunately, this species of insects has not yet been found on the territory of Russia. Giant water bugs are a scourge in North America, Southeast Asia and South Africa. Similar insects were also found in one of the lakes in Western Europe.

Belostomas are distinguished by a touching attitude towards offspring, and the lion's share of worries about bearing children falls literally on the shoulders of the father: the female lays eggs directly on his elytra. Often, about a hundred future bedbugs fit on it. In the spring, the male, who takes care of the younger generation, resembles a hedgehog

It is interesting

Thailand is famous for its special, unusual for European taste, cuisine. The Thais could not help but pay attention to such a "tidbit" as a giant water bug. Exotic lovers can try these fried insects, and this dish is in good demand. Due to the attractiveness of giant bugs as a food product, their numbers have declined catastrophically in some regions.

Are encounters with water bugs dangerous?

Generally speaking, the usual "Russian" smooth is not a very aggressive bug, and he is unlikely to come up with a crazy idea to attack a person. But when people, neglecting elementary caution, decide to take the insect in their hands, it will immediately respond with a burning prick, which will be felt for a long time. Mostly the most curious and fearless - children - suffer from the bites of water bugs.

The giant water bug is also not inclined to prey on people, but it happens that bathers bitten by a belostomy jump out of the water with a face twisted from pain.

However, most often, when meeting with a person, a water bug acts wiser: it pretends to be inanimate or uses a technique typical for most bugs - it throws out an odorous secret in order to scare off the enemy. Fortunately, water bug bites are not dangerous to human life, although they are very painful.

On a note

Belostomas can harm people in other ways. In early spring or in autumn, when their instincts compel them to fly, flocks of giant water bugs, moving at a decent speed, may run into people walking near the reservoirs. These collisions do not promise anything pleasant.

No matter how formidable water bugs seem to us, we should not be too afraid of them, let alone destroy them en masse. Let's not forget that tireless smoothies destroy up to hundreds of mosquito larvae per day. The probability of being attacked by mosquitoes is incommensurably higher than being bitten by a smoothie.

And giant bedbugs are practically the only natural enemies three-keel turtles, which pose a real threat to juveniles of commercial fish. Any animal is part of the food chain, and each participant in it must do his own thing. Water bugs are not the kind of living creatures that need to be feared and destroyed.

Interesting video: a giant water bug fights a real snake

There are about forty thousand species of bedbugs. A person encounters them everywhere: in the country, in the city and, unfortunately, even at home. Some bugs live in the grass, others dig holes in the ground, and there are those that prefer bodies of water. What kind of water bugs are there and are they dangerous to humans.

Types of water bugs

Water bugs live most often in stagnant or slowly flowing water. Live one way or another in all existing climatic zones. Nature created them to regulate the population of smaller insects. They are prey for fish and birds.

There are the following types:

water striders;
smoothies;
rowers;
water scorpions;
belostomy.

In general, this type of insect is considered safe for humans. However, if touched, they can bite. Let's get to know the representatives in more detail in order to know a possible enemy.

Water striders - gliding through the water

Water striders are small (up to one centimeter) elongated bugs. They live in lakes, rivers and even puddles. These insects do not drown. They move by sliding on the surface of the water, some can fly. Plants they jump over. The water strider has three pairs of legs: the front pair is needed to capture food and select the speed of movement. The middle pair is used for walking. The hind legs help to choose the direction of movement and turns, and are also needed for jumping.

Water striders have good eyesight and transmit information through the vibrations of the water surface.

They feed on larvae and small invertebrates. Large individuals lay eggs on the leaves of plants throughout the summer, placing them in one row with the help of a mucous substance. The clutch is sometimes similar to a cord, which can contain up to 50 eggs. With the onset of cold weather, they move under the bark, stumps and moss.

Gladyshi - chirping bugs

Smoothies are small bugs, up to one and a half centimeters in length. The body is shaped like a boat. The color makes these insects invisible to fish. They prefer to live in stagnant waters. They move through the water with their belly up, so that it is more convenient to grab the victim. The smoothie, like the water strider, has three pairs of legs. Rear help to quickly overcome obstacles. They can fly in search of food. Birds often do not notice this insect, since from a height of flight it resembles a plant. Smoothies feed on other insects and even fish fry: they inject digestive juice into the body of the victim and then suck out the insides. They cannot stay in water for a long time, they need air. And just at that moment they can be eaten. They lay eggs in plant tissue. Departing from danger, they can dive to a depth and stay there for about 7-8 minutes. In winter, they live under the bark, in the forest floor.

Rowers - active at any time of the year

Rowers are bugs of small and medium sizes (from seven millimeters to two centimeters), living in shallow water and in reservoirs with reeds. They keep in flocks. They prey on invertebrates and larvae, some species are herbivores. They can fly.

Rowers are active in winter, so they are often caught when fishing in the hole.

Water scorpions - tail breathing

Water scorpions are medium-sized bugs (from 2.5 to 4.5 centimeters) that prefer to live in stagnant waters and overgrown reservoirs, as they swim poorly and move slowly. Grasping legs in front and an oblong breathing tube in the back make these insects look like scorpions, and because of the immobility of such bugs, they are often mistaken for a fallen leaf. They can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. Noticing the victim, they attack it with a sharp jump, grab it with the front “pincers” and suck out the insides. The sting of a water scorpion is painful. In the spring, large eggs with breathing tubes resembling spikes are laid inside plants and other organic matter. Waiting out the winter autumn leaves, moss, under the bark, etc.

Belostomy - giant bugs

Belostomas reach a size of up to seventeen centimeters. The forelimbs are similar to the claws of scorpions. They are found in the tropics and in places with a temperate climate. They can hunt fish, frogs, snakes and even turtles.

The saliva of the belostomy contains a poisonous substance that immobilizes the victim.

Sensing danger, they pretend to be dead, exuding bad smell. In Asia, belostomy is a delicacy. Tastes like fried shrimp.

Photo gallery: what water bugs look like

The water strider glides through the water at an incredible speed. In case of danger, the smooth one pretends to be dead or releases a substance with bad smell Rowers make sounds like grasshoppers Water scorpions grab their prey with their front pair of legs, on which claws are located Female belostomy lay eggs on the back of the male until there are about a hundred of them

Are bites dangerous?

If during bathing you accidentally touch a bug, then he may consider this a threat, and then a bite cannot be avoided. In Russia, water striders, smoothies and rowers are common, and only a bite of a smoothysh can cause discomfort.

When bitten, the insect introduces protein, so the wound long time does not heal.

The damaged area will swell, turn red and itch. For speedy healing, it can be treated with green paint. To relieve itching, various ointments from mosquito bites are suitable. The poison only causes pain, but in fact does not bring any harm to a person. With the bite of a water bug, no infections are transmitted either.

The life of a water strider - video

Water bugs are insects that do not pose a great danger to humans. A water bug bite is unlikely, harmless, and causes little discomfort.