Some kind of a large predatory water beetle? 3" ?
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Giant water bug. I’ve seen them in Gerle creek. Probably everywhere, AKA toe biters. Painfull according to the internet
Yup, giant water bug. Don't handle them, they can give you a serious pinch with the spikes on the two front legs. Think hellgrammite times 10. They eat other insects, small fish fry, tadpoles, small frogs and salamanders. Breathe through a snorkle from their butt.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/giant-water-bug.htm
Last edited by DLJeff; 06-29-2021 at 07:54 AM.
I've got them in a creek that runs through my property... picked one up once to see what it was and I can tell you that they're bite hurts!
We had giant water beetles back east, could do a number on a small fish tank of bluegill and bass minnows. But I don’t recall them having those nasty mandibles on the front, just a beak. That thing in the picture is a monster!
Was that Gerle Creek in California?
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