you see, it's been raining A LOT where i'm at all of a sudden. for like three weeks straight it's been nothing but clouds, rain, and potential rain. so there's been like a lot of frogs, and mosquitos, flies, crickets, and stuff like that around.
but, just earlier my brother found the strangest and scariest looking thing in our pool. it almost looks like a cocroach, except that it's a lot bigger, green with small black spots, and these creepy pinser-looking things on it's head that almost look like antennas except that they're bent so that it looks like it could pinch something really bad. it's body is oval-shaped and plain and simple it is the scariest thing i have ever seen. i honestly have never seen anything like it. anyone know what it might be??? ...please???
2007-07-20 16:45:41 · 7 answers · asked by Robyn C 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
It sounds like it is probably a giant water bug, sometimes also known as toe-biters. They are true bugs, in the Order Hemiptera, Family Belostomatidae. One of them, Lethocerus americanus is one of the largest insects in North America.
They are aquatic predators and scavengers. The pincer-looking things are actually its forelegs, which they use to grab prey, and then stab it with their piercing 'beak' - injecting digestive enzymes, which then allow them to suck up the juices as the tissue breaks down.
They are indeed capable of delivering a fairly nasty bite. I've never been bitten by one, but I know others who have that claim it is incredibly painful.
Here's some pictures of giant water bugs to compare:
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/ib/109/Insect%20rearing/photos/giant%20water%20bug.jpg
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/GD_Rankin_1156861790_270.jpg
http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/g%20water%20bug%202.jpg
http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/natural/insects/bugsfaq/pics/img0017.jpg
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/giantwaterbug.jpg
2007-07-20 17:08:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A picture would be really nice - it sounds pretty cool! It would also help to say where you are - different things live in defferent areas.
2007-07-21 00:04:10 · answer #2 · answered by John R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the giant western piss-swimmer beetle.
2007-07-21 02:02:06 · answer #3 · answered by Askhole Ninja 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It may be a nimph (dragonfly Larvea) they are bigger than an adult dragonfly and they swim.
2007-07-21 03:02:57 · answer #4 · answered by jake mills 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you think you can put a picture then I can help........ it might be a locust/cockroach mixbreed
2007-07-20 23:54:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A huge beetle maybe....
2007-07-20 23:50:25 · answer #6 · answered by wallet_chain83 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is crocodile madam!
2007-07-24 05:30:56 · answer #7 · answered by sristi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋