Is this thing real!?!?!?!?!

Good Evening Friends

A quick post tonight highlighting an insect I did not know existed, until @customnature introduced me to them a few years back.

Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or commonly as toe-biters, alligator ticks, or alligator fleas (in Florida). They are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera, and occur worldwide, with most of the species in North America, South America, Northern Australia, and East Asia.

^^^This monster hit me in the head this past summer and scared the daylights out of me!!!!!

At first glance, they are simply terrifying. They largest are members of the genus Lethocerus, which can exceed 4.75 in! They also have a proboscis used to inject powerful saliva into its prey and suck out the liquefied remains....Yes, I am serious! These bugs mean business!

Belostomids are aggressive predators which stalk, capture, and feed on aquatic invertebrates, snails, crustaceans, fish, and amphibians. They often lie motionless at the bottom of a body of water, attached to various objects, where they wait for prey to come near. If you ask me, they look like leaves when they are in water They then strike, injecting a powerful digestive saliva with their rostrum. Although their bite is excruciatingly painful, it is of no medical significance.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this guy as much as my son and I loved examining him before setting him free!

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Cheers!

Tim