Where does the smooth water bug live and is it dangerous for humans?

02/21/2018 Category: Bedbugs Author: LankaValorian

The word “bug” is usually associated with a household pest and only evokes unpleasant emotions. However, in nature there are many insects called bedbugs. Some even live in water, for example, smoothie.

• 2 Reproduction and development
• 3 Nutrition of smoothies
• 4 Danger to humans
• 5 The role of smoothies in nature
• 6 Interesting facts about smoothies

Description of an adult water bug

Water bugs (species)
Adults can have different sizes - they range from 15 mm to 17 cm. It all depends on the type of insect.

In our area you can find the following types of water bugs:

• water strider;
• smoothie;
• belostoma;
• rower

Water strider

Water bug "Water strider"

The water strider is a water bug, the description of which resembles a small (up to 1 centimeter) dragonfly without wings that lives in an aquatic environment. In addition to moving on the surface of the water, some representatives of water striders can fly. Thus, they search for food and new places to stay.

The water strider feeds on small larvae that other insects lay. They themselves can become victims of larger representatives of bedbugs, as well as small birds.

Larger individuals can be found in places with tropical climatic conditions.

Also read - Who eats mosquitoes and their larvae

Gladysh

Water bug "Gladysh"

The smooth water bug has a body that is shaped like a small boat. Its front legs are adapted in such a way as to capture and securely hold prey.

The rear ones are designed for movement - they are used as oars. The smoothie bug scoops up water with them, which allows it to move at a fairly high speed.

This insect swims with its belly up - this allows it to scan the surface of the water in search of larvae and small insects that can become its food. A good outlook for a bug is provided by its eyes, which are quite large in relation to the head.

The insect has a well-developed wing system, which allows it to make fairly long flights between bodies of water. The color of the wings is light - it allows you to camouflage yourself from fish. The belly with which it floats upward is black, making it invisible to birds.

Grebljak

Water bug "Grebljak"

This insect has a fairly small body size - only 2 cm. Its main habitat is the surface of a reservoir. Where the water bug lives, you can often hear loud enough sounds made by males to attract a female.

Belostoma

Water bug "Belostoma"

This is the largest water bug and prefers to live in tropical regions. Its population is not found here; you can only see the giant water bug in the photo.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5xzgQ7MaBFg

11) Giant freshwater stingray

Freshwater stingrays live in the rivers of Southeast Asia and northern Australia, where they can reach gigantic sizes - up to 5 meters in length. The weight of some representatives can be 600 kilograms. Very little is known about these creatures, including how many of them remain on the planet and whether they can survive in salt water.

These stingrays are very difficult to see because they like to burrow into river mud. They hunt mollusks and crabs, striking prey with their electric discharges. There are cases where stingrays have overturned boats, but they rarely attack people.

The stingray delivers a powerful blow with its tail, on which there is a spike that contains deadly poison and a sting up to 38 centimeters long.

Many scientists are concerned that freshwater stingrays are in danger of extinction due to river pollution and loss of natural habitat.

Interesting Facts

• It turns out that bedbugs not only smell bad and bite, but they can also grow up to 15 centimeters in length. Such parasites cannot be found in bed, but they can be noticed by you while swimming in bodies of water.
• White mastids swim well and have special hooks on their front legs. They use them to capture and fix the position of prey.
• In an emergency, water insects can fly.
• Bedbugs bite people more often on their fingers or toes. Moreover, their bite is very painful.
• Large bugs, as a rule, live in tropical countries - India, East America, Thailand. Sometimes they are found in America, Florida. Locals call the parasites "alligator ticks." The habitat of bedbugs is streams and reservoirs.
• Water parasites are real predators. Since they have an impressive size, their prey can be fish and tadpoles. The bug sits on algae and tracks prey. After the insect sees the fish, it attracts the prey with its front pincers and brings it to its mouth. The bug then injects poison into the victim's body, which breaks down its internal organs. Next, the parasite simply sucks out the contents of the prey’s body.
• The respiratory organs of bedbugs are breathing tubes. They are located on the front of the abdomen. Since the parasite cannot breathe underwater, it periodically floats to the surface.

On the pages of our resource you can find the answer to the question: what is the harm of soldier bugs and how can you get rid of them.

Lifestyle

For most of their lives, bedbugs are underwater, breathing atmospheric air, which is why the insect needs to periodically rise to the surface. The respiratory organs consist of two breathing tubes located at the rear end of the abdomen, so in order to inhale, the bug sticks the back of its body out of the water. Bed bugs swim poorly, so they hunt in shallow water from ambush. As soon as the prey is within reach, the bug throws out its forelimbs, firmly digging into the victim, after which it makes a puncture with its piercing-sucking proboscis and introduces an enzyme that dissolves tissue, and then sucks out the resulting liquid mass.

Insects in the dark are attracted to the light of lighting fixtures, for which they received the nickname “electric-light bugs.”

In case of danger, belostomas freeze and pretend to be dead, and sometimes release an odorous secretion from the anal glands located in the back of the abdomen

Giant bug - belostoma

The number of giant water bugs on the planet is quite small. They live in Southeast Asia and South Africa. The water bug in the photo looks scary, because its size reaches 17 centimeters in length.

Description of the belostomy:

• large front legs resembling a crayfish claw;
• the eyes are reticulated and large;
• the body is oblong, color from brown to black;
• long mustache.

Due to its impressive size and structure of the front legs, the Belostoma hunts frogs, turtles and fish. The water giant is a predator that can wait for its prey for a long time. It attacks quickly, first looking for a vulnerable spot on the body of the prey. It bites through the skin with its proboscis and injects a special secretion that dissolves the insides, and after a while the resulting clot is sucked out of the body.

When the life of the belostoma is in danger, it pretends to be dead and becomes numb. Sometimes it releases from a gland located on the abdomen a pungent odor that scares away the enemy.

Looking at a photo of an inhabitant of reservoirs, the question involuntarily arises, where are the ears of a water bug. In belostomy they are located in the middle segment of the body and are called the tympanic organ. The hearing organs are located on both sides of the body. The hearing aid has a round shape, which is covered with a stretched film that acts as a drum and protects against water penetration into the body. There are air sacs attached to it inside, thanks to which all sounds are amplified. They are joined by nerve endings that sense vibrations of the membrane.

After the belostomy wakes up from hibernation, it begins to actively feed, replenishing the depleted reserves of nutrients. Then comes the period of mating, laying eggs and caring for the offspring. There are one hundred eggs in one oviposition. The female lays eggs on the male's back.

Gestation lasts two weeks. During this time, the male is constantly on the surface of the reservoir, because the future generation needs oxygen. During this period, the male eats less and becomes easy prey for predators. Therefore, by the end of larval maturation, the number of bedbugs decreases sharply.

The larvae, leaving the eggs, have soft bodies and are colorless. After time, the cover hardens and acquires the desired shade. Then the active feeding phase begins, they eat, grow and shed their chitinous shell, which quickly becomes small for them.

For a person, a giant bug does not pose a danger; it can only scratch it with its paw when it bathes in water. An enzyme that gets on the skin will cause discomfort, and the mark left by the insect will take a long time to heal.

The role of the giant water bug is difficult to overestimate. As a predator, it helps regulate the number of amphibians and insects on the planet. In Japan, a high mortality rate of three-keeled turtles was noted, which destroyed rice crops. During the observations, scientists determined that the cause of their death was the belostomas. But giant bugs also caused damage to fisheries by eating young fish released into lakes.

The line between benefit and harm from the presence of water giants on the planet is very thin. Do not forget that in nature everything is interconnected, from microorganisms to huge animals. Nature is unique - it needs to be valued and protected.

The Belostoma bug is the largest representative of the order Hemiptera, reaching a length of up to 17 cm. The giant water bug lives in East and Southeast Asia, as well as in some regions of North and South America.

The insect's body is flat, elongated and oval in shape, reminiscent of a fallen leaf. The color may vary depending on the bottom of the reservoir (this is necessary for camouflage), but most often it is brown. The eyes are large and reticulated. The wings are membranous and transparent. There are hooks on the front legs, the main purpose of which is to capture the future victim.

The insects live in shallow, algae-covered, warm waters and, when in large numbers, are capable of causing significant damage to fisheries by eating young fish, which is why they have received the nickname “fish killers.” The diet also includes frogs, amphibians, worms and small turtles.

Offspring

Aquatic arthropods reproduce by eggs. But their method of laying differs markedly. The female smoothie chooses the thickness of plant stems to lay eggs.

Paddlefish catch eggs with their offspring under deep algae or on other objects located under water.

Belostoma keeps future offspring under supervision all the time. The female lays eggs on the back of the male. There are usually so many eggs that its entire surface is filled.

A water bug with eggs on its back makes all movements (walks or swims). Before the appearance of the larvae, the future father is completely focused on caring for the offspring.

The male selects the required temperature regime for the eggs and offspring. Protects them from other predators, and also ensures that there is always good air circulation around the masonry.

The male belostomy practically does not eat food during this period, therefore, after the birth of the larvae, it often dies.

During their life cycle, water bugs go through 3 main stages: egg, larva, and adult. The hatched larvae visually closely resemble adult individuals, but are significantly smaller in size.

Before the larvae transform into a full-fledged individual, several molts occur.

External description

Water striders are representatives of the family of True water striders, from the order Hemipteran bugs. Latin name: Gerris. They live on the surface of the water. Their body is covered with hard hairs that have a water-repellent shell. Thanks to the properties of the hairs, insects do not drown, easily float on water and quickly move along its surface. This family is the largest in the world, despite the fact that their life cycle lasts 1 year.

Features of the structure:

1. The insect's body size varies from 1 to 20 mm. The shape is narrow, elongated, and looks like a stick of dark brown or brown color. This body shape allows you to cut through the air with lightning-fast movements.
2. The water strider has three pairs of legs. The front legs are the shortest, allowing them to hold prey and regulate the direction of movement. The middle and hind legs are the longest and are the supporting ones. They also help the bug move through water, make jumps, and act as a turning mechanism. The water strider uses three pairs of legs when it needs to turn over. It looks interesting, she moves her limbs in all directions.
3. They have excellent vision. All necessary information is received and transmitted through water vibrations.
4. Males have sensitive antennae, with the help of which they find an individual of the opposite sex.
5. The type of respiratory system is tracheal, so water striders, like other insects, require atmospheric air. Air enters the trachea through the stigmata located on the back and middle part of the chest. For example, sea bugs need to constantly float to the water to rest. Water striders already live on the surface, so they don’t need this.

Types of water striders

This genus represents over 700 species of water striders found in the reservoir. Some of them live in rivers, stagnant ponds, oceans and seas. Photos and descriptions of the most common types:

1. Pond - this species differs from other insects in the bright color of its legs. The forelimbs are painted with black stripes. The body length does not exceed 1 cm. Males and females differ in the color of the abdomen. In females it is red, and in males it is black. Insects can fly.
2. Rod-shaped slow - this name appeared due to the shape of the insect’s body, which looks like a stick and its slowness. Lives in Siberia.
3. Large water striders are large insects up to 17 mm in size, their body color is red. They have wings.
4. Marine specimen - body size up to 5 mm. There are no wings, the speed reaches 3.5 km/h.

River and lake water striders are wingless insects. Individuals living in bodies of water have wings and are able to move through the air. They fly into puddles, settle there and live.

Life activity and reproduction

The mating process occurs in spring and summer. The male selects a female suitable for breeding and mounts her right on the water. The female lays eggs after 7 days. This process lasts all summer:

1. Clutches of eggs can be found on the surface of aquatic plants. Each egg is held together by a special mucus that looks like a long cord. Insects of small species lay eggs with eggs, without mucus. Sometimes they just stick them into the leaf tissue.
2. The role of males is to protect the female and future offspring. They take care of her and protect her until she gives birth.
3. The larvae (nymphs) that emerge from eggs are similar in appearance to adult insects, only smaller in size. Their abdomens are convex. Just like adults, babies feed on small invertebrates. Growing up happens quickly. 30 days after birth, they turn into adult insects.
4. In autumn, the activity of water striders gradually decreases. They leave bodies of water in search of shelter for the winter. They hide among mosses, in fallen leaves, and climb into cracks in tree bark. Having decided on a shelter, the insect is left without light, food and falls into hibernation.
5. With the arrival of spring, water striders wake up and begin to actively populate nearby water bodies. After waking up, they need good nutrition. They eat the remains of dead insects accumulated on the surface of the water. Thus, a massive cleansing of the reservoir occurs.

A simple species of water strider that lives in water bodies prefers to be close to the shore. This way they can hide from fish in coastal thickets. Slow-flowing rivers and lakes are inhabited by freshwater insects. They also live in puddles and small streams. Freshwater water striders prefer tropical climates, but can survive in harsh, snowy conditions. Water strider bugs are also found on the coasts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Nutrition

Water striders are predators, although their size is quite small. They feed on various insects inhabiting the pond, regardless of the size of the prey. These could be their relatives, flies, mosquitoes or larger individuals. Nutrition Features:

1. The organ of vision in parasites is spherical. Thanks to this eye structure, they see their prey from afar.
2. They grab the victim with their front paws, on which hooks are located.
3. The insect pierces the victim's body with a sharp proboscis and sucks out all the useful enzymes from it. To prevent the proboscis from interfering with movement, it is tucked under the chest after eating.
4. The food of sea water striders is jellyfish, physalia, and caviar.
5. The blood of insects is consumed by parasitic species.

Natural enemies

All natural enemies of water striders live in reservoirs and rivers, since insects rarely come ashore and spend their entire lives on the water. Main enemies:

• fish;
• frogs;
• water mite

The water mite is the most dangerous enemy. Its larvae attack insects, bite through the body and suck out blood. Water striders are able to move quickly through the water, they are agile and quite neat, they can jump, so they cannot be called easy prey. Tiny insects can run 1 meter in 1 second. Their motion receptors are so well developed that they are able to sense even the slightest movement on the water. When a threat approaches, insects immediately leave the area.

Stick-shaped water strider

Usefulness of water striders

The benefit of water striders is that they regulate the number of insects such as horseflies. These blood-sucking parasites cause harm to people and animals. They lay eggs and larvae in the water, where water striders destroy them. Bedbugs also kill adult horseflies, despite the fact that their size is much larger. They form a group, attack the adult parasite, and then eat it. It takes about an hour to eat.

Danger to humans

Waterbugs are virtually harmless to humans, but can sting severely if disturbed. The sharp proboscis easily bites through human skin. The bitten area turns red and itches. Actions in case of a bite:

1. Iodine will help relieve itching. It is enough to treat the affected skin area with the product.
2. Typically, allergic reactions develop after being bitten by tropical water striders. Bite marks remain on the skin for up to 2 weeks. The victim should take antihistamines and lubricate the wound with special preparations.

Water striders attack rare fish and feed on the contents of their bodies. This is the most enormous damage caused by these insects.

Gastronomic value

In Thailand, belostomy is a real delicacy; they are served fried or dried. The taste is like a cross between chicken and shrimp. An extract from the insect's anal glands is used as a flavoring additive for some types of soy sauce.

The water bug family includes six species, all of which are different from each other. They have a body size from 2 mm to 12 cm.

They lead an exclusively aquatic lifestyle, and all are predators. The most famous water bugs are the water strider and the smoothie.

Water strider bug

There are about 700 species of water strider bugs,

which differ from each other in color and size.
This insect has a long, elongated body, which can be from 1 mm to 3 cm. Three pairs of legs extend from it. The front ones are short, necessary for capturing prey and regulating the speed of movement. The middle and hind legs are used for locomotion and are 1.5-2 times longer
than the water strider's body.

Why do water strider bugs not drown, but run on the surface of the water?

Insects are held on the surface of the water due to the force of its tension. On the head of the bug there are special antennae that can catch even the faintest vibrations in the water surface. The mouthparts are piercing-sucking, and are used to suck out the contents of the victim.

Some of the subspecies of water striders have wings and use them to move between ponds. They can temporarily settle on the surfaces of puddles. Wingless individuals spend their entire lives in the same body of water.

Water striders lay their eggs on the leaves and stems of aquatic plants. Sometimes they are located singly, but usually in groups of 40-50 pieces.

The larva is similar in appearance to the adult, but differs in its small barrel-shaped body and small size.

The water strider settles in bodies of water with standing water or rivers with very little current. Who eats water strider bugs and what do they eat? He can set up an ambush at the very edge of the water. It feeds on invertebrates, insects, and fish fry. Thanks to its large eyes, the water strider is able to notice prey from afar and attack it with its proboscis. They themselves become food for large fish.

Smooth bug

The smooth bug has a smooth, streamlined body, which is how the insect got its name. The hind pair of legs is much larger than the rest, and is used as “oars” when moving through the water.

Gladysh loves stagnant bodies of water,

but very often it settles in any puddle or even a barrel of water. It can make long flights exclusively at night to search for a new place with food. Like all other bugs, the smoothie has a piercing-sucking mouthparts, with which it pierces the body of the victim and sucks out nutrients.

REFERENCE!

The smooth bug can be called a musician - it can rub its front paws on its proboscis, producing a kind of chirping sound.

What does the smoothie bug and its respiratory organ breathe?

In water, the insect turns belly up, gliding along it on a smooth shell. In this position, the smoothie breathes simple atmospheric air, which it receives through special holes located in the back of the abdomen. During diving, the insect gains the necessary supply of air, after which they are closed with special plates.

Gladysh preys on insects or small fish.

At the same time, he himself can be prey for fish or birds. However, nature has endowed it with protection from these predators - its back is light and its belly is dark.

The bug lays its eggs on the bottom or underwater part of plants. After 2 weeks, larvae emerge from them, similar to adults, but lighter in color.

Gladysh does not attack a person, and usually when meeting him, he pretends to be dead or throws out an odorous protective liquid. However, when you try to pick it up, you can get a painful bite that will hurt for a very long time, and sometimes even fester.

Water bugs are a whole family that lives exclusively in stagnant bodies of water or rivers with weak currents. They are predators and have a piercing-sucking apparatus, with which they suck the juices out of the prey. Some species have wings, with which they can fly to find a new place of residence. Water bugs do not attack people

but they can sting for protection, inflicting painful bites. The most famous are the water strider and the smoothie.

You can’t confuse Gladysh with anyone

Take a closer look at the photo of the smoothie bug. It absolutely lives up to its name:

His body, actually smooth and streamlined, resembles a boat, deftly and incredibly quickly cutting through the water. The water bug also has two powerful “oars” - these are the back pair of legs. They are significantly larger than the other limbs and bear elastic bristles. It is enough for the water bug to make a few strokes of the “oars” - and it has already moved a considerable distance.

This species of Hemiptera prefers bodies of water with standing water. But it is not at all necessary to be near lakes or ponds to see this water bug, because the smoothie settles in any puddle or in a barrel standing in the garden, and can even find itself on the veranda in the evening, attracted by the light of a lamp.

The water bug is capable of quite long flights. This insect rises into the air at night, usually with one purpose: to find a body of water rich in food.

The smooth brown elytra and delicate membranous wings of a transparent color serve to fulfill this important mission.

Noteworthy are the two large (by insect standards) eyes. No one can escape the penetrating gaze of an aquatic predator.

Like all bedbugs, the smoothie has a piercing-sucking mouthparts. Having overtaken the victim, the water bug tenaciously holds it with its forelimbs, pierces its shell, injects a digestive enzyme during the bite and sucks the juice out of it.

Description of varieties

Water bugs are absolutely safe for humans, but, like any insect, they will defend themselves with a bite if their peace is disturbed.

They feed on larvae, insects and even small fish, and some can even attack a turtle or frog. Most aquatic insects can fly, but they do this mainly only with the aim of finding a new place to hunt.

Water bugs include:

• water strider;
• rower;
• smoothie;
• Belostoma.

Water striders are small in size. There are about 700 species of this insect. The familiar water strider resembles an oblong stick with three pairs of legs of different lengths. Microscopic hairs on them help the insect maintain balance. Water striders feed on other insects that find themselves in the water, or on larvae.

Both wingless and winged water striders are found in nature. The latter were lucky enough to travel by air in search of a place to winter. The largest water striders are found in the tropics. Here small fish become their prey, and the bites of such a bug are felt even more.

Greblyaki live in temperate and northern latitudes. They are active not only in the warm season, but also in winter. Unlike their relatives, paddlefish raise their head, not their abdomen, out of the water when breathing. Taking into account their small size, up to 15 mm, paddlefish choose the smallest prey, helping themselves to eat with the help of their forelimbs. The combed bug more often than other relatives ends up prey to larger bugs.

Species diversity

Gladyshi

An adult reaches 15 mm in length. The wings are roof-shaped, the abdomen is flat. The coloring of the elytra depends entirely on the body of water in which the bug lives. The abdomen is darker than the elytra. If you disturb the peace of an insect, it will definitely sting. Because of this, it is often called the water wasp.

To get rid of bedbugs, our readers recommend the Pest-Reject repeller. The operation of the device is based on the technology of electromagnetic pulses and ultrasonic waves! Absolutely safe, environmentally friendly product for humans and pets.

The legs of smoothies are located in the thoracic region. Insects are able to move on land, but they look extremely clumsy. There is an air bubble at the back of the abdomen. It is captured by a bug from the surface and the smoothie breathes on it. The bubble also affects the buoyancy of the bug.

How to fight

Since the water bug does not pose a danger or threat to human life, it is not necessary to fight it. He never attacks first. If a person accidentally steps on it or picks it up, the insect may bite in defense.

The damaged area resembles a wasp sting, leaving redness and swelling. The affected area can be lubricated with brilliant green or insect bite gel to relieve itching.

On the contrary, water bugs provide some benefits. Since they live in water, they feed on the larvae of horseflies, spiders, mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects.

If an insect somehow ends up in the room, you should not pick it up with your bare hands. It's better to wear gloves or sweep with a broom.

The only harm insects of this family can cause is to the farm. By feeding on fry, they can destroy valuable fish species.

To know what certain types of water bugs look like, you can look at the photo.

Can you imagine a bug up to 10 cm long that lives in water and is capable of eating a turtle? Water striders and other water bugs look more harmless. Should you beware of them and what kind of danger do they pose?

In slow-moving or stagnant waters, you can often find insects that move along the surface on long legs. We call these representatives of the fauna water striders. But for many it will be a discovery that they belong to the suborder of bedbugs. And these are far from the only representatives of hemipterans. He doesn't look like him at all!

Signs of a bite and first aid

Pain, swelling, redness and itching are attributes of an insect bite. The reaction occurs as a result of an allergy to enzymes introduced by the bug. Of course, these signs will manifest themselves differently in different people. It depends on the body’s predisposition to allergies. Belostoma bite

Of course, the first thing you need to do if you are bitten by a water bug - belostoma, gladysh, plavt or water scorpion - pull yourself together and remember that these are not poisonous insects.

And then you must definitely do the following:

• Wash the bite site with running water and soap;
• Apply cold to the wound. If there is no ice at hand, press the sore spot with your finger or apply a pressure bandage above - these actions will prevent the spread of allergens;
• To avoid bacterial or viral infection, treat the wound with any disinfectant: ethyl alcohol, iodine, chlorhexidine, miramistin, etc.

To reduce pain and swelling, use Boro Plus ointment or Fenistil gel.

From “grandmother’s” remedies, you can use soda lotions, tinctures of calendula or Corvalol applied to the wound. Tea tree essential oil helps: a few drops will relieve itching and disinfect the bite site.

Many of us have been bitten by mosquitoes and ants, stung by wasps, bees and horse flies. “It went away on its own.”

If you have a strong body and good immunity, these measures can be limited: your body itself will cope with the consequences of the bite.

Strange habits of the “water bee”

A waterbug bite feels similar to a bee sting. Therefore, the Germans came up with a very suitable nickname for the smoothie - Wasserbiene, which translated means “water bee”.

The smoothie bug has one oddity that distinguishes it from other insects living in water. This water bug swims quite differently from how most insects do. A large creature with spread wings changes beyond recognition when it finds itself in the water column.

When diving, it turns upside down. It is this feature that helps representatives of the genus Notonecta hunt. The water bug controls the surface of the pond, where small insects and their larvae are easily found.

But any predator, having gaped, often turns out to be a victim. So the smoothie can easily be eaten by a bird or fish. True, nature gave him the opportunity to avoid a fatal meeting with the enemy. The back of the water bug is light, which makes it inconspicuous when viewed from the depths of the reservoir. The abdomen, on the contrary, is dark. Not every bird can see a water bug against the background of a dark bottom.

The smoothie bug reliably hides its eggs. Groups of light yellow eggs arranged in a circle can be found in May at the bottom of a reservoir or attached to the bottom of underwater plants. They ripen in about two weeks, and when the water is warm, they ripen faster.

The larvae, similar to their parents, only lighter, undergo four molts during the summer and reach sexual maturity. The chitinous cover remaining after molting so accurately follows the outline of the insect itself that it is easy to confuse it with a living individual.

Danger to humans

Smoothie is safe for people if you do not touch it. Adults are rarely bitten by these bugs, as they do not attack large creatures. You can only be attacked by accidentally hitting it in the water. But children are bitten by the water bug more often, since they often want to catch the beautiful insect in their palms.

Find out more about the waterbug bite from our article - Waterbug bite: how to live after it?

It is impossible not to notice the attack of the smoothie, as it is accompanied by sharp pain. Soon the bitten area swells. As first aid, you can apply cold to the bitten area or burn it with brilliant green. There are no terrible consequences for a smoothie bite, and on average, after a week there will be no trace left of it. However, any person, especially those prone to allergies, can develop an individual allergic reaction, just like to a wasp or bee sting. If you have already been allergic to insect bites, it is advisable to take an antiallergic drug. If, after a bite, difficulty breathing, dizziness, loss of consciousness and other similar symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. However, it is worth noting that there is no data on deaths as a result of Gladysh attacks.

A sharp pain when bitten by a smoothie is felt not because of the bite itself, since the bug’s proboscis is very small, but because of the insect’s caustic saliva getting into the wound

Because of their painful bites, smoothies are also called “water wasps” or “water bees.”

If a water bug somehow gets into the aquarium, it must be removed immediately before the fish are harmed. Although some people even keep smoothies in separate aquariums, admiring their unique beauty.

Insect habitat and habits

Insects of this species are adapted for an aquatic habitat: the body is smooth and has an elongated shape. To speed up the movement of the hind legs, the legs are much longer than the front ones. The water strider bug and the smoothie bug are similar in this regard. An interesting shade attracts the eye. The color is formed from brown, green, yellow colors.

How to recognize a smoothie?

These are quite large insects, their body length reaches 15 cm. But the largest species is the Belostoma. Smoothies can fly, due to which the habitat can change: small bodies of water, puddles. Water bugs have long legs, which allows them to move quickly.

The body is smooth and streamlined, reminiscent of a boat. Two powerful “oars” are the back pair of legs; they exceed the size of the other limbs

The smoothie moves thanks to its two hind legs. For this reason they are called rowing boats. The other 2 pairs are shorter. The belly is flattened, which facilitates rapid movement across the water surface.

Like all bedbugs, it has a piercing-sucking mouthpart

Upon closer examination, you will notice that in insects of this species the head, abdomen and body are separated. To adapt to living conditions, water bugs change color: from lighter to dark brown.

With its front legs, the smooth fish clings to any protruding objects: branches, specks, and other irregularities in the water surface. Insects of different species (for example, paddlefish) have a common feature - their legs are covered with fluff.

Behavioral features

Smoothies not only can fly, but also swim well. However, they cannot stay in water for long. Such insects usually turn over on their backs; movement is facilitated by pushing movements of their rear paddle legs. The smoothie makes sounds reminiscent of the singing of a grasshopper. At the same time, water bugs rub their trunk with their front legs.

Masking is facilitated by a change in the shade of the body

Moreover, it is important that the color does not contrast too much with the bottom of the reservoir. This is how smoothies hide from predators. At the same time, they can sneak up on their prey unnoticed.

When lying on their backs, water bugs resemble a plant, which is facilitated by legs of different lengths sticking out to the sides. If necessary, they can dive underwater. The duration of stay in the aquatic environment during complete immersion does not exceed 8 minutes.

The bug is capable of long flights and usually rises at night.

Where do they live?

Smoothies are found in closed reservoirs; preference is given to standing water. This is the main habitat of such insects, but due to their ability to fly, they are found much more often in everyday life. For example, bedbugs are attracted to puddles, and along the way they may stop on the veranda of a private residence. Insects of different species (combing beetle, belostomy, etc.) prefer certain living conditions, where it is easier to get food.

Gladysh also has his weaknesses. For example, these insects fly into bright light. Accordingly, in the evening they are most active. This is also due to the behavioral characteristics of other insects that are eaten by bedbugs.

Gladysh is an active predator, absorbing up to 100 mosquito larvae per day

Insect diet

Gladysh is a predatory water bug. Its diet: small insects and even fish fry. The caught prey is killed by injecting digestive fluid into the body. After this, the insect sucks it up. Sometimes an adult (giant water bug) attacks a representative of its own group of insects, for example, a paddlefish can become a victim. The enemies of smoothies include birds and large fish (not all, but only some species). But the task of catching is complicated by the beetle's ability to camouflage.

Offspring and reproduction

Reproduction of some insects of this group (comber, smoothie, etc.) is carried out by the method of incomplete transformation (they lay eggs). The larva is formed with similar external characteristics as the adult. The only difference is that there are no wings.

And the size is, of course, much smaller. Water bugs lay eggs closer to the bottom of the reservoir. The offspring hides on the underside of the plants. The eggs are characterized by a light yellow hue. The duration of larval development is about 3 weeks. Under favorable environmental conditions, this period may be reduced by several days.

The larvae also lead a predatory lifestyle from the first days of their existence. During the development period, they go through several stages of molting, since the shell is not prone to stretching. The ability to make sounds appears in adults.

Insect nutrition

Small species prey on representatives of the fauna that are not larger than them. They lead a fairly active lifestyle. Large water bugs await their prey in a shelter.

The piercing-suction mouthparts of bedbugs do not allow them to eat solid food or swallow prey whole.

The diet of such insects is varied. It depends on the size of the potential prey. Most individuals use nerve poison. After it is sprayed, the victim slows down his movements or is completely paralyzed.

The predator grabs the prey with its paws, pierces its body with its proboscis and sucks all the nutritional material.

The diet consists of small insects, their larvae, fish eggs or amphibians. Paddlers prefer algae or mosquito larvae. Bedbugs are predators, so fighting for prey is no stranger to them. And if the diet is too meager, then they calmly eat their relatives.

Giant water bug smoothy

One of the most amazing representatives of aquatic hemipterans is the giant water bug - Belostoma, reaching 15 centimeters in length. They live in freshwater ponds and lakes in India and Thailand, and these giants are also found in the North American state of Florida, where they received the nickname “alligator ticks.” In addition to the whitefish, the hemipterans that live in the water include the familiar smoothie, the water strider and the paddlefish, which can be found in the waters of our country.

Water bug photo

The smoothie lives up to its name with a smooth, streamlined, boat-shaped body. The aquatic hemipteran has three pairs of legs, the hind ones of which are the longest and covered with bristles and serve as oars. From the surface, the insect captures a bubble of air, which it breathes and which affects its buoyancy. This bubble is located in the lower part of the abdomen. On his head he has two large eyes, relative to his body.

The giant hemiptera differs from representatives of another family in that its hind legs are designed for swimming, and not for moving on land. The front legs are massive, claw-like and shorter than the others. The legs end in claw-like hooks, which are needed for securely capturing and holding prey.

The inability of adults to breathe underwater forces them to rise into the open air. The respiratory apparatus consists of two tubes and is located on the abdomen of the arthropod.

A bug capable of flying rises to its wings only if it moves to another body of water in search of food, or is attracted by the light of lanterns in the dark. Its wings are membranous, transparent, with dense brown elytra.

The individual characteristics of the male include his ability to make sounds very similar to the chirping of a grasshopper. This sound appears when the front paws rub against the proboscis.

The smoothie lays its offspring in the form of eggs on the bottom of the pond, attaching them to plants. Egg maturation occurs within two weeks, and the warmer the water, the faster this process occurs. The larvae are similar in appearance to the adults, but lighter in color. During the summer they undergo four molts, and the shed chitinous cover so closely resembles the outlines of the arthropod itself that it can be confused with a living creature.

The giant hemipteran is distinguished by a unique relationship between males and offspring, since females lay eggs on their elytra and then the father takes all care of them. A clutch can contain up to 100 eggs. In the spring, the male, covered with eggs, becomes like a hedgehog.

Predatory water bug or not?

The aquatic hemipteran is a predator. Even small fish and frogs can become prey for the belostomy, but mainly the insect eats fish fry, tadpoles, mosquitoes and their larvae.

Gladysh differs from other hemiptera in its swimming technique. After immersion in water, the insect turns over with its belly up, which allows it to control the surface of the pond and thus hunt. The insect prefers to live in a standing or slow-flowing pool, but it can also be found in large puddles and in barrels of water.

The giant hemipteran watches its prey on a stone or plant and when the prey is very close, it grabs it with its front legs and pulls it to its mouth. All hemiptera feed equally. They insert a proboscis into the victim’s body and inject special enzymes into it, which decompose the victim’s internal organs, then suck out the resulting liquid.

What are smooth water bugs afraid of?

Being a predator, the bug itself can become prey. But the light back and dark belly, capable of changing color depending on the bottom of the pond, allow Notonecta to be invisible from the depths of the water for fish and from above for birds.

How to get rid

There is no need to think about how to get rid of the smooth water bug, because it poses no real danger to humans

These hemipterans occupy an important place in the food chain, using mosquito and horsefly larvae as food. And belostomas hunt the three-keeled turtle, which threatens juvenile commercial fish

Therefore, an aquatic hemipteran, even the largest, is not a creature that should be feared and destroyed en masse.

Water bugs are common insects and are found in many latitudes. Here you can see water striders or smoothie bugs. In Southeast Asia, South Africa and North America, there is a giant water bug, reaching a size of ten centimeters. Insects are predators; they feed on fly larvae, mosquitoes, tadpoles and fish fry, and small crustaceans. Let's talk about them in more detail.

The role of smoothies in nature

The smooth water bug controls the number of mosquitoes. One individual eats up to 100 of their larvae per day. When aquatic arthropods eat fish fry, this is a normal part of the food chain.

This is considered as pest only in fish farms.

On the other hand, smoothies are food for other representatives of the animal world. Water bugs are an important link in the ecosystem of individual stagnant bodies of water, as well as the general world fauna.

Ground bugs: horseflies and stink bugs

Another representative of bedbugs are horseflies ranging in size from 2-9 mm. They have a bright color: dark brown, brick, orange or straw and also have dark or light stripes or dots on the back. They have long antennae and a proboscis, but no eyes. Horseflies are mainly herbivores, which is why they take root in grass or trees. Among them there are also pests, which are the beet bug and the alfalfa bug.

The shield insect family includes several subspecies: turtle shield insects, earthen shield insects, hemispherical shield insects, etc. Their body is round in shape, ranging in size from 1.4 to 45 mm. Individuals feed on both plants and insects, and they are pests of fields and vegetable gardens.

As you can see, the water bug is not as harmful as its terrestrial relatives.

How to get bedbugs in your home?

It’s very simple - just bring home one fertilized female. She will lay eggs almost all her life, about five eggs per day. Within a couple of months, a whole colony can form. You can bring bedbugs from anywhere, but the likelihood of picking them up is especially high in rural areas, on farms and farms (as was the case in my case). Bedbugs don’t care whether your home is clean or dirty, dry or damp, cold or hot. The main thing is that there is a source of blood. They can also crawl from their neighbors, but in general they don’t like to walk a lot and often change their habitat, just like people.

Bedbugs settle in any secluded places. Most often in the sofa or bed, where the owners sleep. They can be in the joints and under the casing. But old clothes on shelves and baseboards suit them just as well. They can also find a place for themselves under wallpaper - and also in books and even equipment. Their survival rate is extremely powerful. They can live for more than a year without food, hibernating. The only thing these creatures definitely don’t like is sudden temperature changes. Bedbugs die within an hour at temperatures above fifty degrees. Or you can try to freeze them, if the house stays at minus twenty or below for a couple of months, the parasites will die. In the villages this is how they used to deal with them: they went to stay with relatives and left the house open. My grandfather also told me a story about a gentleman who put the legs of his bed in buckets of water so that bedbugs could not climb on them. They say it didn't help - bedbugs can swim.

Reproduction of common smoothie

At the beginning of spring, the female common smoothie lays up to 200 eggs after mating on the lower part of the stems and leaves of aquatic plants. She embeds eggs into plant tissue. The clutch is formed by light yellow, oval-shaped eggs, glued into a circle. In May, after 14 days, larvae appear, similar to adult insects, colored greenish-yellow and without wings. In warm water, larvae develop faster.

With the fourth molt, the development of the smoothies ends, but some time still passes until the chitinous cover completely hardens and acquires a characteristic color.

Breeding

Belostomas demonstrate paternal care. These aspects have been extensively studied, including with the North American flumineum and the East Asian summerweed (Kirkaldyia) deyrollei. The eggs are usually laid on the wings of the male and carried by him until hatching.

The male cannot mate during this period and spends a lot of time and energy on reproduction. Females play an active role in searching for males to mate with. In the subfamily Lethocerinae, eggs are laid on emerging vegetation and are guarded by the male.

conclusions

In recent years, the invasion of the marbled bug has acquired the proportions of a natural disaster. Against the backdrop of climate change in the world, the pest’s habitat will expand significantly in the near future. Scientists claim that an increase in average winter temperatures of just one degree will lead to a 15% reduction in insect mortality. High fertility, ecological plasticity and migratory activity make the marbled bug an almost invincible pest. To date, measures taken by humans cannot regulate the number of the parasite; they are restraining in nature and only minimize the harm from its activities. All hope is for the discovery of a new pesticide that is harmful to bedbugs or the appearance of a natural enemy that will feed on insects while seriously reducing their numbers.

Bedbugs will turn you into an itchy paranoid

Each bug comes out to eat regularly once a week. It leaves a trail of bites on a person - from three to eight, but depending on your luck. If you are completely unlucky and you are allergic to bedbugs, each bite will swell like a healthy pie, like after a Mantoux test. Most often, their bites are similar to mosquito bites, but they itch many times more. In addition to the itching, there is also a burning sensation, as if you fell from a bicycle into nettles. And the main bonus is that bedbugs love to bite fingers and hands, the most unpleasant places for bites in principle.

A newly hatched bug immediately goes for blood, otherwise it will not be able to grow

Each bite lasts about two weeks. At the beginning of a relationship with bedbugs, there will be only a few of them - not a tragedy. But at the peak of the war I had more than a hundred of them. Arms, legs, feet, back and even neck were bitten. All this burned, itched and aesthetically looked rather creepy. It is almost impossible not to scratch the affected areas. I had to get a soft hair brush to comb it neatly. Well, spend some money on soothing ointments, but these are minor things.

I've been sleeping on an air mattress for a couple of weeks now because of bedbugs.

I threw the sofa in the trash. An absolutely beautiful sofa that was only three years old. There was only one alternative - to remove all the upholstery and find the nests, but it was cheaper to throw it away.

If bedbugs remain in the apartment, they will happily set up a colony in the new sofa (and new sofas can come from the factory with their own bedbugs - this happens). Therefore, a strategic decision was made to buy an air mattress for a while. If parasites are still living in the house, they will almost certainly soon be found under the mattress. But so far they are not visible, and the bites have finally passed. After I threw out the couch, I only caught a couple of bugs in the first two days - perhaps they came from the couch itself while I was tearing it apart and tearfully kicking it to get it into the elevator.

The war lasted all of August and now seems over, but I am not relaxing. A control treatment is planned for the near future - the room will already be devoid of baseboards and linoleum, just to be sure. And only then will I decide to add a new sofa to the house. I wish you never to face this misfortune!

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