第 1067 号，共 1 402 张

Giant water bug

Lethocerus americanus

名字的由来： Its nicknames come from its habits: 'toe biter' for its painful bite and 'electric light bug' for being drawn to lights at night.1

只是会疼会疼，但不会对你造成严重伤害。

毛毛虫和虫子

咬伤吃：肉

对人的危险: 很疼可能真的很疼，但几乎从不严重。

The giant water bug is a large, flat-bodied insect that lives in ponds, marshes and slow streams. It hunts other animals, including small fish and frogs, and it can give a painful bite if handled. It is found in southern Canada and the United States.1

生活在

Southern Canada and the United States, north of 35°N. Other Lethocerus species live further south.1

北美洲

首页

It lives in ponds, marshes, and on the edges of lakes and slow-moving streams and creeks. Adults may fly at night and be attracted to electric lights.1

长度

5 cm到6 cm (2 in到2.4 in)1

最高速度

约 0.9 公里/小时（0.56 英里/小时）

游泳, 粗略估计

它吃什么？

Adults and young eat other insects, small crustaceans such as crabs and crayfish, tadpoles, frogs, snails and small fish. It grabs prey with its front legs and injects digestive toxins through a retractable proboscis like a mosquito's. Several bugs have been seen hunting and sharing the same prey.1

Giant water bug的照片 — Giant water bug。照片：Ken-ichi Ueda。 CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist.

怎样认出它

Adults are about 5–6 cm long.1
It has natural camouflage that helps it hide in the water.1
It swims using its hind legs.1
Its front pair of legs is used to grab and hold prey.1

常被误认为： It is often confused with Benacus griseus, which can be told apart by grooves on its front femora (the thick upper parts of the front legs) that fit the tibiae when folded. It is very similar to L. uhleri.1

毒液之力

咬伤

它咬的时候，毒液通过毒牙或牙齿出来。

它的毒液会造成什么？

The bug injects digestive toxins into its prey through its proboscis. It lets the prey digest for 10–15 minutes before it eats.1

它对人有多危险？

对人的危险: 很疼可能真的很疼，但几乎从不严重。

A bite is painful and may happen if the bug is handled or disturbed. It prefers to avoid people rather than confront them.1

它害怕时会做什么？

When disturbed, it first tries to escape or play dead, then raises its front legs and hind end in a fighting stance, and may latch on and bite.1

如果它咬人

被毛毛虫的蜇毛扎到：用胶带把毛粘掉，再清洗皮肤。不要揉。
被咬：清洗并冷敷。如果感到不适或容易出血，就去看医生。

一定先拨打你的急救电话（112、000、911）。这里是一般急救指导，不是医疗建议。急救基础

注意安全

永远不要摸、抓或逗弄野生动物，即使是很小的，即使它看起来在睡觉或已经死了。
给它留出空间。如果遇到它，保持冷静，慢慢后退，让它走自己的路。
如果被它咬了：保持冷静，保持不动，拨打你的急救电话（112、000、911）或尽快去医院。记住它长什么样，拍张照片会有帮助。

它不是冲着你来的。它用毒液捕猎或保护自己，而且它更愿意躲起来。更多安全知识

在世界哪里？

非洲亚洲欧洲北美洲南美洲澳大利亚和大洋洲

它有多大？

它有多长？

和 2 块玩具积木排成一排一样长

Giant water bug和你比起来有多大？

只是在你的浏览器里算一算。什么都不会被保存或发送到任何地方。

它有多快？

一只花园蜗牛 约 0.05 公里/小时 (0.03 mph)

Giant water bug 约 0.9 公里/小时 (0.56 mph)

一个在游泳的人 约 3 公里/小时 (1.9 mph)

值得了解

事实

It breathes air trapped under its wings, using two snorkel-like tubes at the back of its abdomen.1

Several bugs may hunt together and share the same prey.1

Few young survive to adulthood, because adults eat other nymphs and other predators also hunt them.1

It can be attracted to electric lights while flying at night, which gives it the name electric light bug.1

Adults survive winter by burrowing under mud and leaf litter.1

谣言粉碎机

谣言： It is a 'toe biter' that goes looking for people to bite.

真相： It prefers to avoid humans. It bites mainly when it is handled or disturbed.1

给毒液专家

学名: Lethocerus americanus
类别: 毛毛虫和虫子
家人: Belostomatidae2
排序: Hemiptera
大洲: 北美洲
宝宝: Eggs are laid on plants at the water's edge and may be guarded by an adult. Nymphs hatch about two weeks later, and a female may lay about 150 or more eggs in her lifetime.1
对人的危险: 2 / 5: 很疼3