[NatureNS] Giant Water Bug bite - yowsers!

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From: Randy Lauff <randy.lauff@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 18:10:15 -0300
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Bizarre! I had no idea they'd go that deep.

Randy

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


On 23 May 2013 17:21, <bdigout@seaside.ns.ca> wrote:

> > 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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<div dir=3D"ltr">Bizarre! I had no idea they&#39;d go that deep.<div><br></=
div><div>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 23 May 2013 17:21,  <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; The one caught in the Bras D&#39;Or lobster trap was in a trap set in =
30-40<br>
feet of water. It was alive and crawled over the fishernman&#39;s hand and<=
br>
posed for pictures. =A0Then he threw it overboard where it was promptly<br>
consumed by a gull. The trap wasn&#39;t set near a river or brook run-off<b=
r>
area, but around an island in the St.George&#39;s Channel area.<br>
<span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888">Billy<br>
</font></span><div class=3D"HOEnZb"><div class=3D"h5"><br>
&gt; Have heard of one case =A0in estuarine waters - salinity was probably =
in the<br>
&gt; 10-15 ppt area.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Have retrieved one from a minnow trap atabout 2 1/m depth --- as well =
as a<br>
&gt; water shrew in the same trap.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Andrew<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; ________________________________________<br>
&gt; From: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-owner@=
chebucto.ns.ca</a> [<a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">nature=
ns-owner@chebucto.ns.ca</a>] on<br>
&gt; behalf of <a href=3D"mailto:bdigout@seaside.ns.ca">bdigout@seaside.ns.=
ca</a> [bdigout@seaside.ns.ca]=
<br>
&gt; Sent: May-23-13 11:31 AM<br>
&gt; To: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=
</a><br>
&gt; Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Giant Water Bug bite - yowsers!<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;I&#39;ll inquire and get back to you.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; =A0I&#39;ve only heard of one other report from a lobster pot (or othe=
r salt<br>
&gt;&gt; water<br>
&gt;&gt; source). Any idea how shallow the water was? Was it alive?<br>
&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt; Randy<br>
&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt; _________________________________<br>
&gt;&gt; RF Lauff<br>
&gt;&gt; Way in the boonies of<br>
&gt;&gt; Antigonish County, NS.<br>
&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt; On 22 May 2013 18:43, &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:bdigout@seaside.ns.ca"=
>bdigout@seaside.ns.ca</a>&gt; wrote:<br>
&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt;A friend of mine who fishes lobsters in the Bras D&#39;Or =
had one come up<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; in<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; a trap a few days ago and asked for identification. =A0Are the=
y common in<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; salt water as well?<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; =A0For a few years, I&#39;ve been working on an aquatic insect=
 project. Today<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; my<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; student Mallory and I caught a number of Giant Water Bugs=
 (<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; <a href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethocerus_americ=
anus" target=3D"_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethocerus_americanus<=
/a>) and larger<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; Predaceous<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; Diving Beetles<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; (<a href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predaceous_diving_bee=
tle" target=3D"_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predaceous_diving_beetl=
e</a>).<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; The<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; bugs are also known as &quot;toe-biters&quot;. I&#39;ve n=
ever heard of any toes<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; getting<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; bit, they normally feed on tadpoles, salamanders and more=
.<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; Mallory and I brought the live insects back to the lab an=
d were<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; working<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; with one of the bugs...they grab onto you with their rapt=
orial claws,<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; which<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; is mildly annoying, but then I saw the proboscis start to=
 move - it<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; pierced<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; me before I knew it, and the pain it caused was akin to a=
 mild or<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; moderate<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; bee sting. And it lasted for a good five minutes. Years a=
go, I picked<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; a<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; backswimmer (<a href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back=
swimmer" target=3D"_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backswimmer</a>) ou=
t of a net<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; and<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; received a sharp bite (again, more of a piercing)...the b=
ug bite<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; today<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; was<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; very similar to that. The two insects are both true bugs,=
 but I&#39;ve<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; really<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; no idea if the pain-causing agent is the same in both.<br=
>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; Randy<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; _________________________________<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; RF Lauff<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; Way in the boonies of<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt; Antigonish County, NS.<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt; &gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;&gt;<br>
&gt;<br>
<br>
<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>

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