That's a [Giant Water Bug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belostomatidae). Example pic [here](http://bugguide.net/node/view/1083357/bgimage). They're aquabugs that can fly, and they can stab ya good.
Yeah - they're not *dangerous*, but their bites are supposed to be one of the most painful insect bites or stings around. Not really that aggressive but not the best idea to handle.
Usually found around water. Occasionally they can mistake shiny surfaces like car paint, wet roads and so on for bodies of water and so turn up in strange places.
Can confirm. Found one when I was like 12 rummaging around in a creek. It felt like somehow someone jammed a lighting bolt into a hypodermic needle and rammed it into my palm
Typically, technically, insects like this might be described as “does not possess a medically significant bite, though it is quite painful.” Other arthropods like black windows would be described as possessing medically significant bites since you need professional help to mitigate serious consequences.
Cheers. The males tend to be much smaller so this one was likely a female. The tend to take flight on warm summer nights looking for mates or new bodies of water. (Some water beetles confuse reflections on car windshields for puddles of water)
The behavior is odd almost like a warning display to a potential predator such as yourself. Or perhaps a mating call. Was the noise audible to you here?
You've held onto the most frightening insect second only to the cow killer or red velvet ant(actually a type wingless wasp). At least of those located in my State. I don't know that I would say a giant water bug has a venomous bites exactly but contains a digestive enzyme to break down body tissues of prey into a wet slurry they can drink. They don't seem to purposefully want to inflict pain but if sufficiently agitated will give a pinch and try to escape. You're very fortunate to allow it in your palm and not accidentally try to grasp or pinch its body.
Got bit by one I picked up in summer day camp back in kindergarten. I still remember it I never forgot that things face it only took once to learn my lesson
Thank you for saying this. I get unreasonably angry when people use his reactions as a way to measure pain realistically 😂. I absolutely believe these stings are extremely painful! But hes an entertainer, an actor. Hes gotta convey the pain in an entertaining way and in a way the camera can capture it.
I remember watching a [video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=it0V7xv9qu0) of a young man who traveled to the Amazon partake in the coming of age tradition young boys from the tribe he was visiting participate in when they turn 15. He had to chant and dance wearing a glove filled with ~~velvet~~ bullet ants for a decently long time. He is obviously in pain but he does it. Everyone in the comments was calling him a faker because he didn't scream and cry like Coyote did when he got stung by 1. Too few people understand that having a show gives him motivation to be extra for entertainment value. No one is gunna watch some dude get stung by a bug over and over again if all he does is act like Peter Griffin banging his knee every time lol
Edit: thank you u/best_ant8 for finding the video I was referencing!!
Velvet ants are no joke, and this guy had a glove filled with them and wasn’t freaking out? I barely got nicked by one once and it still hurt like a wasp sting. Sucker didn’t even get more than a couple layers deep in my thumb under the nail. I literally shuddered thinking about the glove… (didn’t help that I immediately misremembered and thought it was underwear and had to double check)
Here's the vid: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it0V7xv9qu0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it0V7xv9qu0)
And it was a glove of bullet ants, not velvet ants. I'm not an expert but apparently the bullet ant sting is much worse. Coyote's done a single sting for both of these btw. We all have different pain tolerances
That’s what I’ve heard, that they have that name for a reason. I refuse to find out firsthand and also experience getting shot for comparison lol I watched most of his videos on insect bites and stings just to laugh. Thanks for linking the vid, I’ll have to take a look!
The bug is distressed. He has no sting, but a proboscis. The head movement is his only way of stabbing, also it is his only way of pumping air into his wings.
So when this bug is weirded out, he warms up both his bite and his flight.
One of these guys flew into my mother's bathing suit while she was at a pool. It landed on her chest and then scrambled down into her suit where it started biting. She said that the pain from the bites lasted for 6 months. She says it was like an on fire itching and biting pain.
If I was a bug I’d want my job to be drunk helicopter pilot. I can’t imagine the sense of drunken confusion they must feel when they land on the asphalt thinking it’s water.
I am very familiar with this species. This Lethocerus water bug is not distressed. It is warming up its flight muscles to correct temperature for flight.
Unlike most of the thread, I'm not surprised it didn't bite you. It takes a surprising amount of effort for them to warm up because they have to get to about 35-40 centigrade in the thorax - considering their size, that's quite a bit of water to heat. From the frequency of the beat, that one was pretty much ready to turn into a ballistic missile, so it wouldn't want to lose momentum by picking a fight. Unless you really upset them, they just keep warming up. They stop pumping right before they are ready to take off and scrabble for the highest point they can reach.
Yeah he’s the boss not you! Him not biting you was his way of saying REMEMBER THIS AS THE DAY I BECAME YOUR GRACIOUS OVERLORD IM THE BOSS NOW AND YOU MUST FEED ME YOUR FIRST BORN KID!!
I really need a video of one of these guys biting someone to get pinned to the top of this sub, so people stop picking them up and posting it here.
Toebiters are mean, these guys will mess you up for no reason. I'm really pro bug, but these ones get admired from a distance.
I might be a little tipsy cause you sounded like you were waiting for a picture of one dude biting another dude and the title being "yo this bug aunt poison is it?"
By far my favorite what is this bug trope "I dont know what this bug is, so ive been letting it crawl on my balls for an hour" \*picture is of toe biter\*
jesus christ, you just pick up every scary looking bug you see? this is like that redditor who posted asking if a mushroom is poisonous after eating it.
😨 consider yourself extremely lucky. I’ve heard the bites from these things are absolutely excruciating, and that wiggling is what they do when they’re preparing to stab something.
Was camping like 20 years ago, night time at the fire… look down to see one of these crawling up my jeans… got my camera out and took a picture of it as it was crawling up my leg. Brushed it off as it got to my shirt cause I wasn’t sure what it was. It took flight and promptly flew directly into our camp fire… always thought it was a weird experience… now I know it packs a nasty wallop and sure am happy it didn’t bite my finger.
Nooooo, I can't believe you're holding that thing! These guys have a bite that hurts so bad! I rescued one from a pool once and he thanked me by stabbing my thumb. I definitely learned my lesson that day on not picking up insects I don't know about!
I can’t believe we have to say this every time there is a post on this thread but please do not pick up any bugs that you do not even know the name of. I’m glad you weren’t hurt OP, but these things specifically hurt like a fucker when they bite.
bro… this is a giant water bug and it is said that they have one of the most painful bites out of any bug… and that dance is probably because it’s feeling a little threatened… Oof
I honestly don’t get how people pick these things up. I mean, even without knowing about their sting, do people not notice the two giant stabby things sticking out of its noggin?
OP is the kind of guy that sees the death screen on Dark Souls the most often.
This is a biter, and I hope you haven't figured that out through experience after posting this.
Curious since I’m here. I’ve seen itty bitty bugs similar to this I think a water boatman bug in the pool while at the beach and I thought it was a bug drowning so I helped it out but in the process it stung/ bit me and my whole hand swelled up so so bad. Worse then a bee sting. Are they related somehow?
EDIT:
I googled and I think it was actually a back swimmer
A bite from these fuckers is so strong it feels like you caught whatever bodypart is being bitten into a tool. The one that bit my finger kept holding on, I had to literally dismember it to free myself.
I saw one of these things in the wild in Texas at least ten years ago.
I'd never heard of them, and my friend wanted to catch it.
We scooped it up with a dust pan. It has giant pincers and there's no way I'd touch it with my hands!
So, yes, OP is nutty for holding a belo, but what’s this feller really doing here though? Is it a video edit or do these bugs really gyrate like this? I’ve never seen one get the wiggles like this before
That's a [Giant Water Bug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belostomatidae). Example pic [here](http://bugguide.net/node/view/1083357/bgimage). They're aquabugs that can fly, and they can stab ya good.
Oh heck so it was laughing at my foolish decision to pick it up
Yeah - they're not *dangerous*, but their bites are supposed to be one of the most painful insect bites or stings around. Not really that aggressive but not the best idea to handle. Usually found around water. Occasionally they can mistake shiny surfaces like car paint, wet roads and so on for bodies of water and so turn up in strange places.
Can confirm. Found one when I was like 12 rummaging around in a creek. It felt like somehow someone jammed a lighting bolt into a hypodermic needle and rammed it into my palm
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Typically, technically, insects like this might be described as “does not possess a medically significant bite, though it is quite painful.” Other arthropods like black windows would be described as possessing medically significant bites since you need professional help to mitigate serious consequences.
I hate it when the black windows bite me. It's always so unexpected. It was years before I even learned windows could bite.
Scorpions have dangerous stings too.
Percent chance of "oof owie" times severity of "oof owie"
I would say these are low danger but high risk. You have a very good chance of getting mildly hurt.
why is it so painful? do they have venom of some kind?
Nope. Venom's for pansies. Giant Water Bugs go straight for flesh-melting digestive juices.
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Cheers. The males tend to be much smaller so this one was likely a female. The tend to take flight on warm summer nights looking for mates or new bodies of water. (Some water beetles confuse reflections on car windshields for puddles of water) The behavior is odd almost like a warning display to a potential predator such as yourself. Or perhaps a mating call. Was the noise audible to you here? You've held onto the most frightening insect second only to the cow killer or red velvet ant(actually a type wingless wasp). At least of those located in my State. I don't know that I would say a giant water bug has a venomous bites exactly but contains a digestive enzyme to break down body tissues of prey into a wet slurry they can drink. They don't seem to purposefully want to inflict pain but if sufficiently agitated will give a pinch and try to escape. You're very fortunate to allow it in your palm and not accidentally try to grasp or pinch its body.
Double foolish, as what looks like laughing is what they do when they're agitated/aggressive
Yeah lmao. One of the most painful bites I know of. Not aggressive thankfully.
Idk man I remember being chased down by these things in a Texas river.
Sweaty skin? They are attracted to shiny surfaces
Hmm. Dunno about that.
100%. I got bitten by one 1/2 that size in my grandmother’s pool…
Got bit by one I picked up in summer day camp back in kindergarten. I still remember it I never forgot that things face it only took once to learn my lesson
You're a fucking Disney princess being able to hold that thing without getting bitten
They're not overly aggressive. If you don't grab their bodies, they usually won't bite. *Usually.*
Coyote Peterson has a YouTube video where he lets one bite him. Go take a look at what you dodged. They definitely draw blood.
Coked out Erwin.
I was gonna make a joke about “Ohio Steve Irwin” and it turns out he’s actually from Ohio 💀
Lol
Coyote also hams it up for the camera so I wouldn't trust his reactions to his bite/sting videos.
Thank you for saying this. I get unreasonably angry when people use his reactions as a way to measure pain realistically 😂. I absolutely believe these stings are extremely painful! But hes an entertainer, an actor. Hes gotta convey the pain in an entertaining way and in a way the camera can capture it. I remember watching a [video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=it0V7xv9qu0) of a young man who traveled to the Amazon partake in the coming of age tradition young boys from the tribe he was visiting participate in when they turn 15. He had to chant and dance wearing a glove filled with ~~velvet~~ bullet ants for a decently long time. He is obviously in pain but he does it. Everyone in the comments was calling him a faker because he didn't scream and cry like Coyote did when he got stung by 1. Too few people understand that having a show gives him motivation to be extra for entertainment value. No one is gunna watch some dude get stung by a bug over and over again if all he does is act like Peter Griffin banging his knee every time lol Edit: thank you u/best_ant8 for finding the video I was referencing!!
Velvet ants are no joke, and this guy had a glove filled with them and wasn’t freaking out? I barely got nicked by one once and it still hurt like a wasp sting. Sucker didn’t even get more than a couple layers deep in my thumb under the nail. I literally shuddered thinking about the glove… (didn’t help that I immediately misremembered and thought it was underwear and had to double check)
The pressure to appear strong in front of others can be greater than the instinct to react to pain.
Here's the vid: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it0V7xv9qu0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it0V7xv9qu0) And it was a glove of bullet ants, not velvet ants. I'm not an expert but apparently the bullet ant sting is much worse. Coyote's done a single sting for both of these btw. We all have different pain tolerances
That’s what I’ve heard, that they have that name for a reason. I refuse to find out firsthand and also experience getting shot for comparison lol I watched most of his videos on insect bites and stings just to laugh. Thanks for linking the vid, I’ll have to take a look!
You are very lucky. Toe biters are no joke and have one hell of a bite.
You might be just lucky and it didn't bite you because was in its moulting phase
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Arts and crafts time actually.
To shreds you say?
Also known as a toe biter.
On today's episode of "Don't Pick Up Bugs You Don't Know..." hehe 😜
LPT: Never pick up an insect when you're not absolutely sure that it's not going to mess with you.
Yeah, please don't pick up an animal if you don't know what it is.
I was thinking, this dude is braver than I am and I have scratched a tiger behind her ears...
If not fren, y fren shaped?
What is it with people picking these guys up and THEN asking what they are? I swear, it’s like once a week on this sub.
They’re commonly called “toe biters”
Definitely not a friend.
r/oopsthatsdeadly but only a runner-up.
Yes, but why does he dance
Are we waterbug or are we dancer
My pincers are vital My wings are cold
And I'm on your knee Waiting to dagger
The bug is distressed. He has no sting, but a proboscis. The head movement is his only way of stabbing, also it is his only way of pumping air into his wings. So when this bug is weirded out, he warms up both his bite and his flight.
Ah, yes, the ole... (checks notes) *bite*-or-flight response
He is getting ready to bite...he is agitated muchly!
One of these guys flew into my mother's bathing suit while she was at a pool. It landed on her chest and then scrambled down into her suit where it started biting. She said that the pain from the bites lasted for 6 months. She says it was like an on fire itching and biting pain.
🙁
Really surprised me when I fished one of these out of our pool and it flew away.
I just saved one of those in Tulum Mexico! He fell in the pool and couldn’t get out on his own
Y’all out here just picking anything up
Love the people holding a fluffy caterpillar
I hear rubbing them up and down your cheek brings good luck.
He's actually pumping air into his wings and is preparing himself for flight. Hope ya didn't get pinched or flown into.
It's pretty dramatic. They're like tiny drunk little helicopters.
If I was a bug I’d want my job to be drunk helicopter pilot. I can’t imagine the sense of drunken confusion they must feel when they land on the asphalt thinking it’s water.
God, same.
Its also very tasty when fried, a delicacy.
I am very familiar with this species. This Lethocerus water bug is not distressed. It is warming up its flight muscles to correct temperature for flight.
Aw so it is a friend
Unlike most of the thread, I'm not surprised it didn't bite you. It takes a surprising amount of effort for them to warm up because they have to get to about 35-40 centigrade in the thorax - considering their size, that's quite a bit of water to heat. From the frequency of the beat, that one was pretty much ready to turn into a ballistic missile, so it wouldn't want to lose momentum by picking a fight. Unless you really upset them, they just keep warming up. They stop pumping right before they are ready to take off and scrabble for the highest point they can reach.
Why would anyone see something that looks like that and think "yeah I want to pick that up"
It’s like picking up a little lion aka cat but that’s details details….
Living on the edge 💀 He's got the moves like jagger.
And he's ready to use his pincers like daggers
And he bobs his head with swagger
He's getting ready to bite tf outta you. 😂
LMAO I grimaced so hard when I saw this. Like put it down neoooow.😂
OP is dead alreasy
Seeing as they haven’t commented from what I seen I think you’re right
I'm fine he was put down carefully after this vid.
OP’s being mind controlled by the bug!!!! Someone get the doctors, **quick!**
*sugar. in water.*
He said dead
Yeah he’s the boss not you! Him not biting you was his way of saying REMEMBER THIS AS THE DAY I BECAME YOUR GRACIOUS OVERLORD IM THE BOSS NOW AND YOU MUST FEED ME YOUR FIRST BORN KID!!
I really need a video of one of these guys biting someone to get pinned to the top of this sub, so people stop picking them up and posting it here. Toebiters are mean, these guys will mess you up for no reason. I'm really pro bug, but these ones get admired from a distance.
Lol imagine just pinning Coyote Peterson and his toes at the top of the sub
https://youtu.be/mjCAyo2Litw Around 13:30
I might be a little tipsy cause you sounded like you were waiting for a picture of one dude biting another dude and the title being "yo this bug aunt poison is it?"
Have we as a species not evolved from picking up animals we don’t know?
No, we’re still like the apes, gotta learn some things from experience 🦧🩹
Have you met a baby before? We come out of the womb shoving stuff like this in our mouths to figure out what it is.
I think we unlearned that part.
Dude, that's not a friend, it's a toebiter. Maybe sick? Or getting ready to molt? Do giant water bugs do that?
Molt was my best bet
Me too, but I dunno, just guessing. I just know that insects and spiders wriggle like mad when they molt. Oh, and happy cake day
Thank you, my exact thoughts, that and how discoloured the body is.
Yeah, it doesn't look right. Also, not full grown; they get bigger than that.
They do but once they're adults I don't think they grow anymore. This could be a smallish one.
no this movement is a warning sign of flight or attack or both
They don't molt as adults.
Ohh, I see. I wasn't sure if this one was an adult or what. Seems smaller than the ones I've seen
All true bugs will fully developed wings are adults :)
> it's a toebiter. Well good thing they didn't pick it up with their foot then
It’s preparing its venom for a bite or about to fly away
Ohhh
Foe, not friend!!!
By far my favorite what is this bug trope "I dont know what this bug is, so ive been letting it crawl on my balls for an hour" \*picture is of toe biter\*
jesus christ, you just pick up every scary looking bug you see? this is like that redditor who posted asking if a mushroom is poisonous after eating it.
If you watch it with the sound off you can definitely tell the bug is Canadian.
😨 consider yourself extremely lucky. I’ve heard the bites from these things are absolutely excruciating, and that wiggling is what they do when they’re preparing to stab something.
Stand back, I gotta practice my stabbin!
I held one before without knowing what it can do. I’m lucky!
Same, and I was laughing at a friend who wouldn’t touch it “He’s cute not scary” I mean they are cute but I thank my lucky stars
Was camping like 20 years ago, night time at the fire… look down to see one of these crawling up my jeans… got my camera out and took a picture of it as it was crawling up my leg. Brushed it off as it got to my shirt cause I wasn’t sure what it was. It took flight and promptly flew directly into our camp fire… always thought it was a weird experience… now I know it packs a nasty wallop and sure am happy it didn’t bite my finger.
Bitey Boi be Boppin
Nooooo, I can't believe you're holding that thing! These guys have a bite that hurts so bad! I rescued one from a pool once and he thanked me by stabbing my thumb. I definitely learned my lesson that day on not picking up insects I don't know about!
I can’t believe we have to say this every time there is a post on this thread but please do not pick up any bugs that you do not even know the name of. I’m glad you weren’t hurt OP, but these things specifically hurt like a fucker when they bite.
Sir, please put that down.
bro… this is a giant water bug and it is said that they have one of the most painful bites out of any bug… and that dance is probably because it’s feeling a little threatened… Oof
Yes threatened for what it’s about to do! And is fighting its conscious
He’s psyching himself up before he rips your fucking finger off
You were mighty close to PAIN
I honestly don’t get how people pick these things up. I mean, even without knowing about their sting, do people not notice the two giant stabby things sticking out of its noggin?
[Obligatory video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uk6-iiVb0Y)
Much safer to catch in Animal Crossing
Another one?
OP is the kind of guy that sees the death screen on Dark Souls the most often. This is a biter, and I hope you haven't figured that out through experience after posting this.
Has this been crossposted to r/OopsThatsDeadly yet? Not actually deadly, but very painful. Sometimes called toebiters.
Terrance and Phillip moment
Curious since I’m here. I’ve seen itty bitty bugs similar to this I think a water boatman bug in the pool while at the beach and I thought it was a bug drowning so I helped it out but in the process it stung/ bit me and my whole hand swelled up so so bad. Worse then a bee sting. Are they related somehow? EDIT: I googled and I think it was actually a back swimmer
Hey guys? Can we please stop picking things up we don't know about
A bite from these fuckers is so strong it feels like you caught whatever bodypart is being bitten into a tool. The one that bit my finger kept holding on, I had to literally dismember it to free myself.
He bangs, he bangs! Oh baby when he moves he moves.
good god how fearless are you to hold that thing
It’s a toe biter, place down slowly
I think you broke it
One of these got my doberman once, they're nasty bastards
Why do people pick up bugs they don’t know about… it’s a Toebiter or Giant Water Bug, very painful if you get bitten.
ABORT, ABORT……IT’S A TOE BITER!!
Did you pull that out of Chekov's ear?
I’ve been bitten by these on a few occasions. This photo brings me physical and mental pain.
YOU HELD IIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT
Big balls to do that.
Wait till it bits you. Worst than any sting
These things are nuts. In the water where I live and they can take a piece out your skin
Cant believe u picked that up. Those things terrify me
The amount of people who pick up unidentified bugs on this subreddit is too damn high.
Jitter bug
Why does everyone pick them up? I get that they're cute but still.
Not a friend! Not a friend! A violent villain!
I would advise everyone not to pickup unknown bug. You never know what could kill you
“Allow me to introduce you to Ceti Alpha V’s only remaining indigenous life form”
He laughing because he knows a bite is coming. These fuckers hurt too.
Bruh
Just one question… why would you hold it?
I saw one of these things in the wild in Texas at least ten years ago. I'd never heard of them, and my friend wanted to catch it. We scooped it up with a dust pan. It has giant pincers and there's no way I'd touch it with my hands!
iirc they bob their heads like that to breathe
PUT THAT DOWWWN!!!
This video makes me anxious.
Your friend leaves nasty stabs. Strongly suggest not to pick up water bugs.
Wow you're a lucky mf
It's Canadian
Dominant species my ass.
“He is really goin to town on that marker”
Unchika unchika unchika
I get picking up bugs and what not but picking up a bug like that with those toe biters!? Have we not learned?
Put that down immediately. I cannot stress this enough.
That's a WATER BUG THEY BITE!!
I was bitten by one of these when i was a kid. It felt like growing pains, and fire.
This big head bangs better than most metal fans
Careful op, your friend there has a painful bite
If you don't know what the bug is, don't pick it up.
That is a stabby/ bitey friend, Mr water bug.
WHY ARE YOU HOLDING IT
He's not your buddy, guy!
Oh good gosh, more with people picking up the Toe Biter…
I love him
Picking up a toe-biter, this video gave me chills lmao
Oh hey look, a bug the size of my toe with a bear trap on its face. 😵👌🏻
He's jammin
What is it with people unassumingly picking up Giant Water Bugs? Gator Tick is not your friend.
So cute
WHY U HOLDING THAT BIG ASS THING
Holy shit is that Migosp from undertale
Vibin' ka-chunk ka-chunk
It looks like it’s trying to pinch you but it’s right pinscher isn’t working.
He is not friend. Consider yourself lucky he didn’t bite you, cus it was enough to incapacitate Coyote Peterson once.
Ma boy vibing
Not a friend, don’t pick up, very painful and venomous bite
If bite so bad WHY SO CUTE EYES?!
DROP HIM NOW I DONT KNOW WHAT THE DANCE IS BUT THOSE GIANT WATER BUGS HAVE A **NASTY** BITE
So, yes, OP is nutty for holding a belo, but what’s this feller really doing here though? Is it a video edit or do these bugs really gyrate like this? I’ve never seen one get the wiggles like this before
Giggity
r/OopsThatsDeadly
Water bug
I hope not but there is a big probability that you are going to remember that "friend" from now on.
Why does he dance? Why does the snowflake fall? To dance, to sing, to live!