What is this?

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:04 am

I took a pic of one a few weeks back before we launched on our canoe trip down the saugeen. ever see 20 guys screaming like school kids.... leave it to me... I'll make it happen. LOL. he was trying to get me something fierce but didnt... I put him back in the river.

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 6:23 pm

heres another big creepy bug, a 2" beetle, an eyed elater or click beetle as far as I can tell. its supposed to be a beneficial predatory insect in its lavae stage feeding on other beetle larvae that would destroy a garden. well I hope its supposed to live here as I went and let it go.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 6:54 pm

Neat. What is the first one? Something like a Dytiscus?

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 7:16 pm

its a giant water bug, Belostomatidae, some can grow very large.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belostomatidae

Colleen Kinzie · Post by **Colleen Kinzie** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:39 pm

thegawd wrote:QR_BBPOST its a giant water bug, Belostomatidae, some can grow very large.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belostomatidae

Those are the ones we have in our pond
Do they sting or bite? There is something in our pond that does and I always blamed them
I usually get nailed at least once a year when pulling weeds, bullrushes etc

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:55 pm

First one also called "Toe Biters", very painful bite, they hunt like preying mantis', feed like a spider on blood and innards of small creatures and will kill small turtles, fish and frogs. I found this out quite by accident when I put one in a tank of red eared slider turtles. Don't do that lol