[NatureNS] Giant Water Bug bite - yowsers!

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From: Randy Lauff <randy.lauff@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 18:53:08 -0300
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I've only heard of one other report from a lobster pot (or other salt water
source). Any idea how shallow the water was? Was it alive?

Randy

_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.


On 22 May 2013 18:43, <bdigout@seaside.ns.ca> wrote:

> >A friend of mine who fishes lobsters in the Bras D'Or had one come up in
> a trap a few days ago and asked for identification.  Are they common in
> salt water as well?
>
>  For a few years, I've been working on an aquatic insect project. Today my
> > student Mallory and I caught a number of Giant Water Bugs (
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethocerus_americanus) and larger
> Predaceous
> > Diving Beetles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predaceous_diving_beetle).
> > The
> > bugs are also known as "toe-biters". I've never heard of any toes getting
> > bit, they normally feed on tadpoles, salamanders and more.
> >
> > Mallory and I brought the live insects back to the lab and were working
> > with one of the bugs...they grab onto you with their raptorial claws,
> > which
> > is mildly annoying, but then I saw the proboscis start to move - it
> > pierced
> > me before I knew it, and the pain it caused was akin to a mild or
> moderate
> > bee sting. And it lasted for a good five minutes. Years ago, I picked a
> > backswimmer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backswimmer) out of a net and
> > received a sharp bite (again, more of a piercing)...the bug bite today
> was
> > very similar to that. The two insects are both true bugs, but I've really
> > no idea if the pain-causing agent is the same in both.
> >
> > Randy
> > _________________________________
> > RF Lauff
> > Way in the boonies of
> > Antigonish County, NS.
> >
>
>
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">I&#39;ve only heard of one other report from a lobster pot=
 (or other salt water source). Any idea how shallow the water was? Was it a=
live?<div><br></div><div style>Randy</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra">=
<br clear=3D"all">

<div>_________________________________<br>RF Lauff<br>Way in the boonies of=
<br>Antigonish County, NS.</div>
<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On 22 May 2013 18:43,  <span dir=3D"ltr"=
>&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:bdigout@seaside.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank">bdigout@sea=
side.ns.ca</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=
=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">

&gt;A friend of mine who fishes lobsters in the Bras D&#39;Or had one come =
up in<br>
a trap a few days ago and asked for identification. =A0Are they common in<b=
r>
salt water as well?<br>
<div class=3D"HOEnZb"><div class=3D"h5"><br>
=A0For a few years, I&#39;ve been working on an aquatic insect project. Tod=
ay my<br>
&gt; student Mallory and I caught a number of Giant Water Bugs (<br>
&gt; <a href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethocerus_americanus" target=
=3D"_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethocerus_americanus</a>) and lar=
ger Predaceous<br>
&gt; Diving Beetles (<a href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predaceous_div=
ing_beetle" target=3D"_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predaceous_divin=
g_beetle</a>).<br>
&gt; The<br>
&gt; bugs are also known as &quot;toe-biters&quot;. I&#39;ve never heard of=
 any toes getting<br>
&gt; bit, they normally feed on tadpoles, salamanders and more.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Mallory and I brought the live insects back to the lab and were workin=
g<br>
&gt; with one of the bugs...they grab onto you with their raptorial claws,<=
br>
&gt; which<br>
&gt; is mildly annoying, but then I saw the proboscis start to move - it<br=
>
&gt; pierced<br>
&gt; me before I knew it, and the pain it caused was akin to a mild or mode=
rate<br>
&gt; bee sting. And it lasted for a good five minutes. Years ago, I picked =
a<br>
&gt; backswimmer (<a href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backswimmer" targ=
et=3D"_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backswimmer</a>) out of a net an=
d<br>
&gt; received a sharp bite (again, more of a piercing)...the bug bite today=
 was<br>
&gt; very similar to that. The two insects are both true bugs, but I&#39;ve=
 really<br>
&gt; no idea if the pain-causing agent is the same in both.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Randy<br>
&gt; _________________________________<br>
&gt; RF Lauff<br>
&gt; Way in the boonies of<br>
&gt; Antigonish County, NS.<br>
&gt;<br>
<br>
<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>

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