Giant Water Bug

About the Giant Water Bug

Also called toe-biters for their painful bite - among the most painful of any insect. They are the largest true bugs and among the largest aquatic insects. Males carry eggs on their backs until they hatch. They inject digestive enzymes and suck out the liquefied contents of prey. They can eat fish and frogs many times their weight. They are eaten as a delicacy in Southeast Asia. They fake death (thanatosis) when threatened. Over 160 species. They breathe through a snorkel at the rear of the body.