You may recall a bit earlier I introduced you to the Giant Centipede, which doesn't follow normal food-chain conventions, given that a large portion of its diet are bats that it catches in flight. Today, I'll be giving you some new nightmares, with another bug that eats above it's station - the Giant Water Bug.
Now, Water Bugs like this are known to take small vertebrates (frogs and fish) for dinner, but the Giant Water Bug, Kirkaldyia deyrolli, from Japan sets its sights a bit higher.
Yes, it's eating a turtle. According to the researcher who photographed it, this particular specimen was about 6 cm long, less than half their maximum size of 15 cm. After catching it, as the bugs only catch live (or at least moving) prey, the Water Bug "insert[ed] its syringe-like rostrum into the prey's neck in order to feed." Again, not the proper order for the food chain. Similar species live across North and South America, as well as East Asia. They're nocturnal, can fly, and have a venomous bite. They have been know to bite humans, causing pain for several hours. Anyway, here's another one, this time eating a snake.
Thanks to the BBC for information and pictures.
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10 comments:
Well, someone's just going to have to sing me to sleep tonight! (ew, ick and YUCK!)
I find your posts educational, interesting, extremely fascinating and very creepy.
I knew about bat-eating centipedes, but not turtle-and-snake-eating water bugs. Impressive!
That is just hideous.
I don't know as I'd call it a "venomous" bite - it's more like an internal acid burn.
And even in North America, they are more than happy to go after the little fishies - here's some pictures my wife took of one in Michigan, eating a goldfish:
http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2009/05/30/giant-water-bug/
They eat these things in Asian cuisine and you can even get them in a can.
Here ya' go!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamvandenberg/34069472/
It's really amazing. I don't know how it does that.
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Centipede eating a tortoise??? Oh my God! It's mutant!! )))
Scary .... but I love this ! I hope it likes slugs and snails too....having an infestation right now !
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