Why do we need water bugs in the world? Predatory water bug: description, photo

Bedbugs are insects of the family of half-wings. There are at least 40,000 species of bedbugs all over the world. They live everywhere, but not always a man notices them. But there are also creatures that can harm people, turning their lives into a nightmare.

Types of bedbugs

These insects have glands, which are a source of unpleasant odor. They frighten off the enemies and attract their relatives.

Individual bugs (for example, living in Japan) take care of their offspring, daily bringing food to the nest, and some lay their eggs on the back of the male, where they develop until the appearance of the larvae. The nutrition of these creatures directly depends on the environment.

People are well-known for bed and water bugs, but this is not all representatives of this species. In general, it has long been believed that these creatures are bloodsucking parasites. Indeed, some individuals are adapted to suck blood from animals, and only occasionally attack a person. True, a predatory water bug can cause panic in people who have never encountered such an insect.

Water bugs: water cannons and combs

The size of these insects is small - from 2-30 mm. They have a thin and elongated torso with long legs, with which they can easily move along the water surface. This kind of bedbug is predator, they do not disdain even the bodies of dead animals.

Water meters that live in fresh water, lay eggs on plants, and sea insects carry them on themselves. Often a person who loves to rest by the water, comes across a water bug. Photos of these creatures are even placed in school textbooks of zoology.

The length of the body of the combs is about 0.5-0.6 cm, with short paws shaped like spoons. A favorable place for their dwelling is in shallow water. But they are able not only to swim, but also to fly.

They are herbivores and feed mainly on algae, sometimes detritus. The males of the rower chirp so that when they gather in large quantities in one pond, one can hear their many-voiced chorus from the water. This water bug does not pose any danger to humans.

Who are the water scorpions and gladys?

Another type of bedbug is water scorpions. In length they grow no more than 45 mm. In this body they are very elongated. The front legs are grasping, and they breathe with the help of a long tube, which is located behind. This water bug lives in the marshes. Water scorpions are predators, and fishes and small animals living in water serve as food for them.

His body resembles a boat that quickly and cleverly dissects the thickness of the water. The hind legs serve as a bug as oars. Insects have chosen water bodies with standing water, but they can be seen in puddles and even in a barrel of water.

Gladysh is also able to fly in search of food, and he does it at night. He is a predator with a piercing sucking mouthpiece. Thanks to his big eyes, no one will escape him.

His idol, the water bug, gladysh deftly holds the forelegs, while piercing her shell and sucking the juice out of her. The males of this species, as well as the rowers, produce chirping sounds.

Giant water bugs

Giant water bugs are tropical inhabitants. There they took a fancy almost all the ponds with fresh water.

These insects grow up to 15 cm. Their hind legs are designed for swimming, and the front ones are equipped with claws that allow you to grab the prey and hold it firmly. The object of hunting giants are fry, tadpoles, snails, and sometimes comes across a small fish. Catching a victim, a predatory water bug can sit for a long time without moving. As soon as the prey approaches, the insect grabs it from the water and immediately begins to absorb it.

A giant water bug can also fly, but it does this extremely rarely, for example, if suddenly there was a need to move to a new pond. People are not of interest to them, but during bathing the bug can still bite a person by the feet. This bite delivers very unpleasant sensations, but does not cause any harm.

Why do we need water bugs in the world? This question torments those who are negative about insects of some kind. Mostly described creatures are involved in the food chain of aquatic inhabitants. For example, frogs like to feast on waterers and rowers. And in Thailand, and a person can taste the gigantic water bugs, if he, of course, is a fan of exotic cuisine.

Ground bugs: dwarfs and shields

One more representative of bedbugs is glaucous in the size from 2-9 mm. They have a bright color: dark brown, brick, orange or straw and yet with dark or light stripes or dots on the back. They have long antennae, proboscis, but do not have eyes. Basically, the herbivores are herbivorous, so they took root in the grass or in the trees. Among them are pests, which are beetroot bug and alfalfa bug.

The family of scutes includes several subspecies: turtle shields, earth shields, hemispherical, etc. The trunk of their round form is from 1.4 to 45 mm in size. Individuals eat 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 relatives of land origin.

What are lace-bugs?

Bedbugs-lace makers received their beautiful name thanks to the shape of the trunk, which resembles a lace. Their dimensions do not exceed 1.5-5 mm. They are inactive and do not have eyes. Lace makers feed on fruit and larch trees, harming them at the same time.

Many gardeners lead a persistent struggle with these insects, since you can lose the crop if you do not take any measures. Bedbugs do not attack people, but the trees suffer from them, even the cases when a large number of these creatures "eaten" large garden lands are known.

Bugs-predators

Specimens of predaceous family reach a length of up to 20 mm. They like to sit around stones or bird nests. Often found in residential buildings. They feed exclusively on small insects.

But the bugs of the genus Nabis and Orius are very useful for humans. They help to destroy pests, such as aphids and caterpillars, as well as larvae of any invertebrate on agricultural land.

Bed bug

Quite known bed bugs are bloodsucking insects. Their torso of oblong form grows to 8.5 mm. Mature individuals have a red-brown color, and their larvae are white. They are the owners of those glands from which an unpleasant smell emanates. Bugs prefer to live in houses, closer to people, they will be suitable for nests of bats and mouse holes.

In warm conditions, bloodsuckers can reproduce around the clock. During the day, the female bug lays about 10 eggs, and in its entire life it can get up to 260 eggs. The larva from the egg appears in the light after 17 days.

When the temperature of the air drops to +10 ° C, insects will be able to live without food for six months, and their larvae will enter into suspended animation and can stay there for up to a year. With frosts below -17 ° C, bugs can survive for no more than a day, and in the heat above +45 ° C they will die out within half an hour.

Every bug needs nature, although not all people understand this. Of course, there are dangerous representatives, but if you follow your home and carefully choose places for swimming, then nothing terrible will happen. Each kind of bedbug is of particular value to other living organisms and nature in general. They are part of the food chain, so their extinction can lead to the death of several species of diverse representatives of fauna and flora.