[NatureNS] Giant Water Bug bite - yowsers!

References: <CAKqJtz-sJrgeitNe4GELHxXk63kg1aDxZ+591uFcW3EBcxv12Q@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 17:21:18 -0300 (ADT)
From: bdigout@seaside.ns.ca
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> The one caught in the Bras D'Or lobster trap was in a trap set in 30-40
feet of water. It was alive and crawled over the fishernman's hand and
posed for pictures.  Then he threw it overboard where it was promptly
consumed by a gull. The trap wasn't set near a river or brook run-off
area, but around an island in the St.George's Channel area.
Billy

> Have heard of one case  in estuarine waters - salinity was probably in the
> 10-15 ppt area.
>
> Have retrieved one from a minnow trap atabout 2 1/m depth --- as well as a
> water shrew in the same trap.
>
> Andrew
>
> ________________________________________
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on
> behalf of bdigout@seaside.ns.ca [bdigout@seaside.ns.ca]
> Sent: May-23-13 11:31 AM
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Giant Water Bug bite - yowsers!
>
>>I'll inquire and get back to you.
>
>  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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