The Oriental Giant Water Bug is a large predatory water bug, 1.9–2.6 in (4.8–6.5 cm) long, that lives in rice paddies and ponds in East and South Asia; it is not found in the United States. It is famous for its devoted fathers: males guard their egg masses on plant stems above the water and keep them wet until they hatch.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A flat, brown bug 1.9–2.6 in (4.8–6.5 cm) long, with thick, grasping front legs.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Rice paddies
- Ponds
- Weedy still water
- Range
- Found in Japan, Korea, eastern China, the Amur region of Russia, eastern Indochina, and India. It is not found in North America; the US has its own giant water bugs, often called toe-biters.
- Preferred conditions
- Prefers shallow, still water with plenty of plants.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mostly small fish, frogs, tadpoles, and other water insects; it has even been recorded taking water snakes and young turtles.
- Activity
- Active at night and flies between ponds after dark.
- Overwintering
- Adults survive the winter.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Females lay eggs out of the water, usually on plant stems. The male climbs onto the egg mass and drips water on it; eggs that dry out don't hatch. Females sometimes destroy eggs guarded by another male, and guarding males fight them off.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Long known as Lethocerus deyrollei; many recent authorities place it alone in the genus Kirkaldyia.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
- Status
- It has declined sharply in Japan and Korea, where it is legally protected.
- Threats
- Loss of wet rice fields and ponds, pesticides, and attraction to artificial lights.
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