During their study of the giant water bug N. Simov and M. Langourov from the study team had the unique chance to witness and record on video the vicious predatory practices of the species. In the recorded material, a larva uses the stems of a water plant to stalk and ambush its unsuspicious pray. The giant water bug larva can be seen storming from its cover and catching and injecting saliva into a small fish.
During the last ten years, many new findings of L. patruelis were made by the team in Southern Bulgaria, providing evidence that the giant water bug is expanding its territory northwards. Such a wide and abundant distribution of the species in these regions would be a further sign of the recent changes of European bug fauna caused by climate change and an important clue for the effects of global warming.
This video shows a giant water bug larva attacking and killing a small fish.
(Photo Credit: N. Simov and M. Langourov)
This image shows an adult giant water bug,Lethocerus patruelis.
(Photo Credit: Mario Langourov)
This image shows the larva of a giant water bug feeding on a small fish.
(Photo Credit: Nikolay Simov)
Source: Pensoft Publishers