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Belostomatidae

Pronunciation:  [BEL·o·sto⋅ma⋅ti⋅dae]

Common Name:  Predaceous Diving Bugs

Description:  Referred to as the giant water bug or the diving bug, these are the largest in their family. There can be a slight color variation but most of the time they are brown and oval shaped. The front legs on the giant water bug are raptorial, have a single large claw and work well for grasping or grabbing prey. Often times, the legs are covered with spines that are used as a defense mechanism as well as a way of stunning their prey. The diving bug can be found in ponds or lakes, hunting down snails and fish.

Spot ID Key Characters:

  1. Front legs raptorial and bearing a single claw
  2. Body flattened and oval in shape

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Order:  Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera

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