Bugs, or hemipterans, represent the largest order of insects with incomplete transformation in the life cycle. In total, there are 30 thousand species in the order. They are distributed throughout the globe and live in all environments of existence. We will get acquainted with three families: smooth water bugs, combing bugs and belostomatids. All of them chose bodies of fresh water as their place of life. Particularly interesting are belostomatids - giant water bugs, which we will talk about in more detail.
Harm to people
Due to its small size, the bites of the water strider bug, found in Russia, are harmless to people and large animals.
Of course, water strider bugs do not ambush warm-blooded animals, but they can accidentally bite when swimming, as well as on the shore when they are prowling in search of eggs and larvae. Green stuff is enough to disinfect the bite site. More aggressive varieties of this species are found in the tropics. They attack small fish and do not miss an opportunity to bite a person. In addition to the proboscis, these bugs also have a sting in their arsenal.
The pain after a bug bite is comparable to the pain after a bee sting. When a limb is bitten, it becomes numb and pain is felt for up to 1 hour. As a rule, this does not cause any consequences if there is no allergy to the substances injected by the bug. Then you need to take painkillers and antihistamines.
Is it dangerous for humans?
The smooth water bug is a practically harmless insect. Unlike the house bug, it does not feed on human blood, and can bite only in rare cases when it suspects that it is in danger. Basically, children show curiosity, try to take a closer look at them, touch them and suffer from their fearlessness. The bite is very painful, like a wasp bite; the bite site swells and a red, hard blister forms. This place remains inflamed for about 7 days, after which not a trace remains of it.
The poison, which is contained in saliva and is so dangerous for fry, does not cause any harm to warm-blooded creatures. But the unpleasant sensations after being stung by a bug remain for a long time.
It also brings certain benefits to humans, getting rid of hundreds of mosquito larvae in one day. He also hunts other insects that annoy humans.
Advice! Try not to touch the smoothie and you will not suffer from the consequences of the bite.
If you find a water bug in your own home, be careful when removing it.
In case of constant parasite infestation, the following actions can be taken:
- contact special insect control services,
- use chemicals,
- purchase a special electronic repeller.
How to recognize an insect
General characteristics:
- Typically the body length can be about 15 cm,
- Waterbugs can bite and emit unpleasant odors,
- The insect has elytra, so it can easily fly,
- The bite most often occurs on the fingers and toes, it is quite painful,
- Water bugs are predatory insects
- They breathe through tubes that are located on the abdomen, so they constantly float up for the next portion of air.
The most common and numerous are smoothies. Their body size can exceed 14 mm. The thoracic region can be traced between the abdomen and head.
On their head they have eyes that have a reddish tint. The insect feeds in a piercing, sucking manner through the proboscis adjacent to the abdomen. This organ is cruel enough to pierce human skin and reach blood vessels. The bite is immediately felt because it hurts. Because of this feature, the smoothie is called the “water wasp.”
This insect takes on its color from the water in the place where it lives. Color can vary from dark green to brownish-brown. Sometimes there are bright yellow and even pink individuals. If you look closely, its back and elytra are slightly lighter than its belly.
There are 6 legs on the chest. The back pair of legs is slightly longer and stronger, since it is on them that the emphasis is placed when moving through the water. Dense bristles grow on them. When getting out onto land, the bug in question moves with difficulty - its front legs cling to uneven surfaces and pull up its body.
The four-segment abdomen is covered on the dorsal side by elytra. The upper part of the body is slightly curved, and there is a thickening on the abdomen.
There is no need to specifically touch the insect; this will result in an immediate bite.
Due to the fact that the smoothie inhales atmospheric air, its body has positive buoyancy. The spiracles are located on his chest. There are 10 pairs in total. Thanks to their movement, the trocheal trunks open. Under the elytra there are stigmata on the chest, which open into special hermetically sealed chambers. Air channels from the surface of the abdomen are also supplied there. They are hidden under 4 stripes of hairs. The bug has a main respiratory site, which is visible in the 7th segment of the abdominal part of the body. It is covered with thin hairs. Some of them may move. When the hairs close together, they close the opening of the breathing hole.
This type of bugs, like bobcats, live in latitudes with a temperate or northern climate. They are a little larger than smoothies by a couple of millimeters. Unlike them, they move through the water with their backs up. They can rotate and tilt their head. It has a trunk, which cannot be seen at first glance - it is located under the lip. Males differ from females in the structure of the front pair of legs; they have small tubercles that help them make chirping sounds.
Observing these arthropods in stagnant bodies of water, you can notice their ability to fly out of the water in a matter of seconds.
Unlike their relatives, paddlefish do not have a proboscis with which they could pierce the food source and get enough. They eat by opening their mouths and pushing food into them with their front paws. In the cold months, they do not hibernate, but continue their active life.
Important! If you do not touch the bug, it will not attack with the aim of biting.
Some varieties of bedbugs, such as the pest bug, the Italian stink bug and the stink bug, leave a specific odor when they fall into human hands.
They should be handled with extreme caution.
The water strider bug does not pose any threat. They do not avoid people, so you can meet them everywhere during the bathing procedure. In case of a bite (for protection purposes), do not be alarmed, but treat the wound with any antiseptic as soon as possible.
If you meet a water strider in hot countries, then prepare for the fact that the bite will be painful for some time after it, and the area around it may become numb. If you have allergies, be sure to take antihistamines.
White mastids are excellent swimmers. Nature has endowed the front pair of paws with hooks, with which they catch their prey and do not let go even when it moves.
Lifestyle
Another characteristic feature of the smoothie bug is its method of swimming. By turning over on his back, he becomes invisible to his enemies (fish or birds). After all, the smooth and protectively colored body of an insect is almost impossible to detect from the depths. But swimming upside down, the smooth fish has the opportunity to see a decent area of the reservoir. It spreads its limbs to the sides and, pushing off with its fins, moves smoothly through the water. From a bird's eye view it can be mistaken for a plant leaf.
Moving in this way along the surface of the reservoir, water bugs imperceptibly approach their future prey. They attack her with a sharp movement and begin to absorb the treat.
However, smoothies cannot remain in an inverted state for a long time. They are forced to change position and rise to the surface of the water due to lack of oxygen. Therefore, from time to time insects emerge to swallow another portion of air. It is precisely moments like these that can cost bedbugs their lives, as they become more visible and vulnerable.
Reproduction
When mating, the male climbs onto the female, who is located directly on the water. A week later, she lays eggs on aquatic plants, placing them along the edges of the leaves. In large species, the masonry looks like a whitish ribbon smeared with mucus. A clutch can contain up to 50 eggs. Small individuals lay single eggs without mucus gluing them together.
Mating and reproduction occurs with the onset of warm weather. The second generation appears in mid-summer. In the warm season, insects of different ages can be seen in reservoirs.
Eggs up to 1 millimeter in size, cylindrical in shape. They lie in bunches or are glued to the stems and leaves of plants. The larvae emerge from the eggs after seven days. At first they are yellow, then darken.
The life cycle of water strider bugs is one year.
For wintering, adult individuals climb out of the water onto the shore and, having found shelter in the grass or a crevice in the ground, hibernate until the onset of spring. Before winter, bedbugs lose their wings, turning into real land dwellers.
Belostoma water bug
This bug is a threat to water bodies and a real predator in its environment. It has powerful forelimbs that resemble the claws of a crayfish. The size of the belostoma reaches 10 cm in length. Such
Dimensions allow you to choose larger prey for your meal, for example, small and not very small fish, frogs and even turtles. Whitefish is called a fish killer. But the giant bug does not claim to be the catch of Russian fishermen. Belostoma is found in water bodies of North America, South Africa, and Southeast Asia.
It is dangerous to live in Thailand. Here the water bug has been turned into a real delicacy that is pre-fried. A large water bug is absolutely safe for people. He can bite only in direct contact with him, but will not deliberately hunt. The simplest and most common technique among bedbugs to scare off an enemy is to release a specific scent or pretend to be dead.
In spring or autumn, belostomas are forced to rise into the air, and then insects can bump into people resting near a pond. A special feature of the giant bug is its relationship with its offspring. In the spring, the bug father looks like a hedgehog, as the female lays eggs on his elytra.
The size of the bug allows it to accommodate about a hundred future belostomas.
Even giant-sized water bugs do not pose a danger to humans and are not pests that should be controlled. Rather, on the contrary, they destroy insect larvae, including horse flies, taking their rightful place in the food chain.
Implications for the ecological system
In any ecosystem, everything is interconnected and represents a food-consumer chain. And if these amazing inhabitants appeared in the natural environment, it means that someone needs it. These insects are an important link in the trophic chain. They reduce the number of mosquito larvae, horseflies and other insects. In Vietnam, belostomas regulate the number of three-keeled turtles, the main pest for fry of commercial fish. But the line between benefit and harm is very blurred here. After all, bedbugs can cause significant damage to fish farming by eating fry. Is the water bug dangerous for humans? No, and you shouldn't be afraid of him.
But in Japan, the male giant tick is a symbol of caring fatherhood; he is respected and even haiku poems are written about him. And they don’t eat it there - after all, in Japan these creatures are listed in the Red Book with the status “on the verge of extinction.”
Reproduction
In winter, shield bugs hide in forests under fallen leaves and are in a state of suspended animation. With the arrival of spring, they leave their wintering grounds and fly to gardens, fields, and bushes to gain strength after winter and nourish themselves with plant sap.
After the recovery period, the period of mating and egg laying begins.
In the warm spring-summer period, stink bugs can lay eggs twice a season, which have the same soft green color as the insect itself. The eggs are attached very tightly to the back of the leaf and are arranged in even rows, reminiscent of beadwork. One clutch can contain about 100 eggs.
The egg looks like a barrel or a jug, it depends on the type of bug. On the empty egg you can see small teeth that held the lid until the larva hatched. The duration of the egg development stage depends on temperature conditions; usually the egg develops from a week to a month.
The larva hatched from the egg differs from the mature bedbug only in the absence of wings, and the color and shape of the larva and the adult bedbug are similar. A strong chitin shield prevents the larva from growing, so during the development process it sheds it five times. This is the most difficult stage of development for an insect. During this period, a large number of larvae fail to shed the shell that restricts their growth, and they die.
Description of the smooth water bug
The name of the insect speaks for itself, since the bug has a streamlined, boat-shaped body. This water beetle has three pairs of legs, of which the hind legs are the longest. The hind pair of legs is also covered with bristles, which serve as oars. From the surface of the reservoir, the insect captures a bubble of air, which it breathes and which plays an important role in buoyancy. This bubble clings to the lower part of the abdomen. On the head of the smoothie there are two eyes, which are very large compared to its head.
The insect's hind legs are designed for swimming in water, and not for moving on land, like most other members of the family. The front legs are more massive and somewhat resemble claws. The front legs are shorter than the rest. At the ends of the paws there are hooks that look like claws. They are necessary for securely capturing and holding prey.
Adult water bugs cannot breathe underwater, so they constantly rise to the surface of the water. The respiratory apparatus of insects includes two tubes located on the abdomen.
Smooth bedbugs can fly, but they use this ability only if they need to move to another body of water in order to find food. Also rise into the air when attracted by the light of lanterns. The insect has membranous and transparent wings, the elytra are dense and brown.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that males have the unusual ability to make sounds that are very similar to the chirping of a grasshopper. This sound appears due to the friction of the front paws on the proboscis.
Smoothies lay their offspring in the form of eggs on the bottom of the reservoir, attaching them to algae and other aquatic plants. The eggs mature within two weeks. Moreover, the warmer the water in the reservoir, the faster the ripening process will proceed. Smoothie larvae are similar in appearance to adult individuals, but are slightly lighter in color. During the summer they go through four molts. Their shed chitinous cover is so similar to the bug itself that it can be easily confused with a living creature.
Male water bugs have a unique relationship with their offspring, since females lay eggs on their elytra, and then the father takes over all the care. In one clutch, the female is capable of laying about 100 eggs. In spring, the male, which is covered with eggs, becomes like a hedgehog.
Offspring
The females sink to the bottom of the reservoir and lay eggs there on the inside of the plants, which they carefully hide. The clutch has the shape of a circle, all eggs are distinguished by their lemon color. To be born, the larva takes about 2 weeks to mature. Sometimes this happens earlier due to sun-warmed water. The larva goes through several stages in its development, corresponding to 4 molts.
Each time the larva sheds its skin, it becomes a little larger and changes color. The adult and the larva lead a similar lifestyle: they also hunt and hide in thickets, but separately from each other.
Gastronomic delicacy
In Vietnam, giant bugs are a very valuable resource. There, liquid is collected from the males from the pheromone-producing sacs. Ca',Cuong is the name of the product that has already entered the world market. One drop of this substrate changes the taste of the dish and, as the Vietnamese say, has a very beneficial effect... you know what.
In Thailand, these insects are simply fried - this is a common dish for local residents. It is called Malaeng da Na, it is sold in all markets and is inexpensive. There is probably not a tourist who has not tried fried giant bugs.
But in the Philippines, the legs of these insects are removed and they are made..., canapés for liqueurs. They are also fried whole or chopped with garlic, tomatoes, onions, in general, whatever you like. And they eat with pleasure.
Insect nutrition
Since water bugs are classified as predators, small fish and tadpoles can easily become their delicacy. To find prey, the bug settles on algae and carefully tracks it. Prefers to dine on creatures that live in the upper layer of water. When the fish swims close enough, the insect stretches out its front legs, grabs it with its pincers and pulls it straight to its mouth. The bug pierces the fish and poison enters the victim’s body through the proboscis, which gradually dissolves all the insides. There is a nerve agent in saliva. After this, the bug can only suck out all the contents.
Scientific observations confirm cases of cannibalism. Juveniles and larvae become victims of hungry adults. Other smaller species of water bugs are also attacked by their relatives.
Oral apparatus
All insects of this order are characterized by the presence of a piercing-sucking type of mouthparts. It has the appearance of a proboscis, the basis of which is a long, jointed lower lip with a groove. The groove contains the lower and upper jaws, which have changed into thin long bristles. This device is covered from above by a short upper lip. The structure of the mouthparts determines the way bedbugs feed. All of them pierce the integument of the victim with their upper jaws and introduce toxins into its body, paralyzing the prey and dissolving soft tissues. The entire oral apparatus is immersed in the victim, and the liquid contents of the victim are absorbed. Representatives of our three families are active predators, and their proboscis is short and curved, like the beak of birds.
Water striders
Kanyukova E.V. Water striders (Heteroptera, Gerridae) of the fauna of the USSR II Systematics of homoptera and hemipteran insects of the fauna of the USSR / Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. L.: ZIN AN SSSR, 1981.[...,]
Kanyukova E.V. Water striders (Heteroptera, Gerridae) of the fauna of the USSR II Systematics of homoptera and hemipteran insects of the fauna of the USSR / Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. L.: ZIN AN SSSR, 1981.[...,]
Neuston - organisms that live near the surface of the water (mosquito larvae, water striders, duckweed, etc.).[...,]
Even the smallest pond in a rural or suburban area will quickly become populated by insects such as water striders, paddlefish, and dragonflies. From year to year, frogs, toads, and newts return to it to breed. Don't be dismissive of the role of frogs and toads in reducing the numbers of slugs and other garden pests.[...,]
Point comb (up to 17 mm in length). Swims quickly in the water column. 23. The body is black, sliding along the surface in odes. 24. Water donkey (up to 12 mm in length). Dark flat greyish-brown body. Crawls among plants and along the bottom).[...,]
Neuston is a collection of marine and freshwater organisms that live near the surface of the water, for example, mosquito larvae, water striders, duckweed, etc. [...,]
Some aquatic insects are found only in stagnant waters or waters with very little current, such as, for example, bugs - rod-shaped water striders, larvae of weevil beetles, beetles of the genus Helophorus F., larvae of shore flies (Ephydridae) and lion flies (Stratyomyidae), mosquito larvae and pupae. Other insects, on the contrary, inhabit only fast-flowing streams, such as some stoneflies, bugs of the Velii-dae family, the twilight fly (Orectochilus villosas Müll), larvae of beetles of the family Dryopidae, larvae of midges (Simuliidae).[...,]
Insects are found in and around urban water bodies of a wide variety, although not as abundantly as in the wild. Usually these are representatives of the orders beetles (whirling bugs, water lovers), bugs (water striders, water scorpions, swimmers), dragonflies, caddis flies, dipterans (mosquitoes, midges). Sometimes you can find rare species. There are also other invertebrates, spiders, crustaceans, leeches, snails and bivalves, oligochaetes, nematodes, hydracarina mites, etc. Some species are found only in certain places. For example, blackback herring and sterlet live only in the Volga. The marsh turtle can be found in the floodplain of the river. Samarka and below the city along the Volga.[...,]
Neuston (from the Greek neuston, capable of swimming), a set of marine and freshwater organisms that live near the surface of the water, for example mosquito larvae, many protozoa, water strider bugs, and among plants, the well-known duckweed.[...,]
These are whirling beetles from the family. Not so noticeable are the numerous protozoa and other microorganisms associated with both sides of the surface tension film.[...,]
A. Representatives of zooplankton Rotifers: 1 - Asplanchna, 2 - Notholca (empty shell). Copepods, 3—Macrocyclops (Cyclopoidea), 4—Senecella (Calanoida). V. Zooneiston. / -dler beetle Dlneutes (family [...,]
Neuston is a collection of organisms living in the surface film of water. Water has significant surface tension; thanks to this property, many microorganisms, small plants and animals live on the surface of the water, holding on to the surface film. Neuston includes bacteria, various flagellated (from the group of protozoa) insects and their larvae (for example, water striders, mosquito larvae). Neuston usually develops only when the water is calm. Therefore, neuston organisms are absent in large bodies of water, where frequent disturbances disturb the surface film.[...,]
As a result of the research, 108 species of hemiptera were discovered, of which 14 are aquatic, and 11 live on trees and shrubs. The following biotopes were studied: mixed-grass, floodplain and upland meadows, mixed forest, blueberry spruce forest, birch forests, and swamp. The greatest species diversity of bugs was observed in mixed-grass and upland meadows, the least in the blueberry spruce forest. Trophic relationships of hemiptera have been identified: Corixidae feed on algae and small invertebrates, all other aquatic species, as well as water striders (Gerridae) living on the surface of the water and jumping bugs (Saldidae) living on the banks of reservoirs are predators. Of the terrestrial bugs of the family Anthocoridae, Reduviidae and Nabidae, they are predators. Arad us cinnamomeus Pz., which lives under the bark of young pines, is a mycetophage.
The harmfulness of the green tree stink bug
The wood bug has a detrimental effect on the plants in which it settles. Small dark brown spots indicate that the bug has fed on the plant. But large trees and shrubs will not be so affected by the bug.
Often tree bugs leave the forest and move to nearby garden plots, where they feed intensively. The invasion of a large number of such insects can severely damage the crop. The bug especially loves to feed on raspberries. It leaves behind a trace of scent glands on the berries, which spoils the taste of the berries.
Sometimes, when there is a lack of food, the bug moves to agricultural crops (cereals) and feeds on them.
Very often, tree shield insects end up in apartments. They get in through open windows, vents, and doors. The stinkbug's mouthparts are not capable of biting through human skin, so you should not be afraid of these insects.
Review:
When there were forest fires in our region, these shield workers moved into apartments. At first I was scared when I saw so many insects in the house, then I read on the Internet that they do not harm humans. Every day I had to collect them with a vacuum cleaner and throw them out the window. The most unpleasant thing is the smell of bedbugs, which spreads throughout the apartment if you accidentally crush one! Then the bugs disappeared completely with the onset of cold weather.
Valeria, Khabarovsk
Giant water bug description
Let's start with the sizes. These insects grow up to 17 cm in length. They have different colors - from green to brown - depending on where they live. These bugs have their front legs (or first pair) turned into powerful pincers with hooks. It is with these that they firmly hold their prey until the injected toxin takes effect. They are active predators, mostly aquatic. Fish, frogs and even turtles are what the giant water bug feeds on. It even attacks small animals. The toxin in the bedbug's saliva is similar in composition and effect to the venom of some snakes, but is not as toxic. It paralyzes the victim and dissolves its tissue, and the liquid contents are absorbed by the bug. In hunting, these predators are helped by retinal eyes and a hearing organ on the middle part of the body (tempanal organ). The bug can fly and loves the light of lanterns.
Because they fly towards light, they are called “electric lighting beetles.” It is in the light that people catch them in large quantities. Breathing is carried out through two tracheal tubes that open on the abdomen. These creatures have to surface every 7-8 minutes to take a breath. In case of danger, the giant bug pretends to be dead and becomes like a fallen leaf, which, however, can spray the secret of odorous glands located in the abdominal region at the attacker.
Other Common Features
Aquatic bugs, unlike their terrestrial counterparts, have no scent glands or they are very poorly developed (in the giant water bug). They breathe atmospheric oxygen with the help of tracheal tubes that penetrate the entire body of the insect, and spiracles that open in the thoracic or abdominal part of the body.
Bedbugs reproduce sexually, the female lays from 10 to 200 eggs. Development - with incomplete transformation. The eggs will hatch into larvae that look very similar to the imago (adult). They molt 4-5 times, increasing in size and acquiring adult organs that the larvae do not have (wings, antennae, segments of the legs). After a few weeks, the larva turns into an adult. A special feature of bedbug eggs is the presence of a cap at the top. When the larvae open these caps, but do not yet emerge from the egg, the sight looks very funny.
Are there giant water bugs?
Giant water bugs do not live in the reservoirs of our country. This is the prerogative of hot countries. This creature belongs to the Belostoma genus. The length of the body can reach more than 15 mm. The color is predominantly brown, but there can be various inclusions. The large red eyes on the head give it a terrifying appearance. Giant aquatic insects prefer standing water in open bodies of water.
They go hunting at night. They wait for prey (frogs, small fish, tadpoles), hiding in one place. The insect moves with the help of 3 pairs of legs. Claws are present only on the forelimbs, which serve to grab the prey and pull it to the mouth. The neuropalatal particles contained in the saliva break down the insides of the victim and make them suitable for sucking out.
Having a camouflage color, the water bug is rarely noticed by birds and predatory fish looking for prey.
Giant belostomas reproduce somewhat differently than other types of aquatic insects. The female lays eggs on the male's back to fill the entire surface. This happens in several passes until the result is a number close to 100. After the female has done her job, the mission of caring for the offspring is completely transferred “to the paws” of the male. It lives “for weeks” under water, periodically coming to the surface to breathe and exposing the eggs to the rays of the sun so that mold and other parasitic microorganisms do not form on the larvae. All the while bearing eggs and caring for them, the male Belostoma looks like a small hedgehog.
They do not pose a danger as such. On the contrary, water bugs are considered a favorite exotic dish that can be found in any Thai restaurant. Due to this popularity, many reservoirs contain very small numbers of these insects. At the same time, farmers are trying to breed these aquatic predators on their own.
Interesting! Considering the great demand among gourmets for belostoma dishes, hunting these insects is strictly prohibited, as they can bring certain benefits to humans.
Caring daddies
The peculiarity of the giant water bug is its touching care for its offspring. And daddy does it. The female glues up to 100 eggs (she can lay up to 4 eggs at a time, so the bugs are forced to mate many times and spend a lot of time together) of gray color on the male’s elytra, and for a long two weeks he is doomed to remain on the surface of the reservoir (babies need oxygen), less feed and become easy prey for other predators. The male carries the eggs, sometimes moving his wings to air them. When the larvae open the lids of their eggs to exit, they do not immediately leave the parent. And he, poor thing, continues to be malnourished. This is the only type of bedbug that shows such care for its offspring.
Description
The body and tips of the legs are covered with hard hairs that are not wetted by water (see Cassier's law), due to which water striders are adapted to glide through water. The water strider moves with two pairs of long and thin legs widely spaced - the middle and back ones. The shorter front legs are used to hold prey. Recent studies have shown that the front legs are the “engine” that provides changes in speed, and the other 4 legs are just a support.
The water strider turns, moving its legs in different directions. When overcoming obstacles they are able to make leaps. The body is dark brown or brown in color, from 1 to 30 mm long.
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In addition to good vision, water striders also transmit and receive information through vibrations of the water surface. This interaction is also used by males when searching for a female for mating.
