Aug 11, 2008

Toe-biters

You're looking at this insect and hoping it's a close up of some tiny little bug. But no. It's a giant water bug, complete with an array of eggs on her back.

I've had very painful encounters with water bugs (they pack a nasty bite). These predators (family: Belostomatidae), are also known as toe-biters, and can reach upwards of 12cm (well, some species at least). They are native to North America, South America, East Asia, and your own personal nightmare dreamscape.

Thanks for the photo, Hannah.

UPDATE: CJKlock has informed me that this is the male. The female oviposits the eggs on the male's back. My respect for the giant water bug has increased maybe a little. Oh, and they are a popular food in Thailand (I think everything's a popular food in Thailand...).

Photo source: Digg.com


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14 comments:

  1. AnnicaAugust 11, 2008

    Very nice to read just before going to bed... thank you...

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  2. UnknownAugust 11, 2008

    This is actually the male. One of the few examples where 'Dad' takes care of the li'l ones. The female oviposits directly on the male's back, effectively gluing his wings togehter and confining him to the pond until the eggs hatch.


    For the female to position that array of eggs on her own back with such precision would require "irreducibly complex" levels of ovipositor acrobatic dexterity.

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  3. AnonymousAugust 11, 2008

    Why do eggs on creatures' backs' always look nasty? Eww..

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  4. ArallynAugust 11, 2008

    AUGHHHH BUG EGGS! AUGH! AUGH! AUGH!!!!! MY BRAIN BURNS!!!

    *vomits*

    *ahem* Sorry. Strong dislike for insect eggs.

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  5. AnonymousAugust 11, 2008

    And here I thought it was some kind of scrub-brush creature.

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  6. AnonymousAugust 11, 2008

    You forgot the best part: "Giant water bugs are a popular food in Thailand." (Wikipedia)

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  7. TessaAugust 11, 2008

    Hee! Fantastic!

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  8. AnonymousAugust 12, 2008

    Do they eat the eggs on the back too? Because that would be crunchy *and* squishy.

    *boggle*

    I could maybe eat something crunchy but certainly not squishy. I get squeamish around tomatoes.

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  9. AnonymousAugust 12, 2008

    OH! ICK! Brain bleach! Two of the grosses things, bugs and carrying gooey eggs on backs, and it's rolled up into one thing! ACK! I'm not even sure I could approach this with a 20 foot pole!

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  10. PatolaAugust 12, 2008

    Not everything is a popular food in Thailand. Only those things that look disgusting or look like a part of the human anatomy.

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  11. AnonymousAugust 12, 2008

    I got inspired and made me a copy of this on Spore, http://eu.spore.com/sporepedia/view.cfm?id=500008543618&back=sp

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  12. Raging WombatAugust 14, 2008

    That's fantastic, Peter!

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  13. AnonymousAugust 15, 2008

    Peter, your Spore water bug w/eggs is awesome. As for the real water bug w/eggs :::shudder::: The water bug himself is okay, but the eggs make me feel all icky.

    Sherry at SofN

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  14. AnonymousSeptember 05, 2008

    Aww, he looks so sad! Like he's thinking "It's not my fault I bite your toes, I'm just hungry!" lol

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