, Family Giant Water Bugs (Belostomatidae) Size 3/4"-2" Season Active Spring through Fall Food Insects, snails, small fish, larvae and adults of frogs, salamanders, etc. Habitat Freshwater streams and ponds     Also called Toe-biters or Electric Light Bug. The bite of the Giant Water Bug is purported to be incredibly painful. Note that these bugs will sometimes "play dead" so care should be taken if one ever handles them. These insects inject their saliva into the victim. In prey, this liquifies the muscle tissue, allowing it to be sucked out and eaten. Giant Water Bugs are fearsome predators and are known to eat frogs, salamanders and small fish as well as smaller items such as insects, snails, etc. Giant Water Bugs are attracted to lights and are sometimes found far from their ponds and streams the next morning after having confusedly flown to lights in a parking light and been unable to return. Males care for the eggs by carrying them on its back during the late spring or early summer. caption: file: x - square 0" x 0" at 300 dpi - release: contact us regarding image add image to lightbox References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_water_bug http://bugguide.net/node/view/12796 Evans, Arthur V. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America. New York: Sterling, 2008. Alden, Peter, and Fred Heath. National Audubon Society Field Guide to California. New York: Knopf, 1998.