Editorial photo #7293458 Human Interest

Giant Water Bug

Giant water bug (Lethocerus indicus) or toe-biters is a genus of the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, native to South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeast China, the Ryukyu Islands, and New Guinea. It includes the largest true bugs which can exceed 12 cm (4.7 in) and nearly reach the length of some of the largest beetles in the world; distributed in tropical, subtropical, and temperate areas of the world. Giant water bugs are aggressive predators that stalk, capture, and feed on fish, snails, crustaceans, amphibians as well as baby turtles and water snakes. They strike, injecting venomous digestive saliva with their rostrum. Although their bite is excruciatingly painful, it is of no medical significance. This photo was taken from a dark place at night with the help of an electric torch at Tehatta, West Bengal; India on 27/10/2021. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)