Lethocerus medius

Lethocerus medius is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae.[1][2][3][4] It is found in Central America from northern Panama north throughout Mexico to southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, and Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas.[1][5]

Lethocerus medius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Belostomatidae
Genus: Lethocerus
Species:
L. medius
Binomial name
Lethocerus medius
(Guérin-Méneville, 1857)

They grow up to 49–58 mm for males and 62–63 mm of females.[4]

Behavior

While giant water bugs in the subfamily Belostomatinae brood eggs on their back, species in the subfamily Lethocerinae oviposit eggs on objects above the water surface. Male L. medius provide parental care by moistening the eggs, shading them, and protecting them from predators by resting on top of them. This postzygotic parental care is a rare phenomenon which sets them apart from other Lethocerus in the Lethocerinae subfamily.[6]

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References
  1. "Lethocerus medius Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  2. "Lethocerus medius species details". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  3. "Lethocerus medius". GBIF. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  4. "Lethocerus medius Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  5. Menke, A. S. (1963). "A review of the genus Lethocerus in North and Central America, including the West Indies (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 56 (3): 261–267. doi:10.1093/aesa/56.3.261.
  6. Smith, Robert L.; Larsen, E. (1993). "Egg attendance and brooding by males of the giant water bug Lethocerus medius (Guerin) in the field (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae)". Journal of Insect Behavior. 6: 93–106.


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