🦗 Well, gwentomologist learned something the hard way - never attempt to handle a giant water bug barehanded! Everyone warned her about their notorious painful bite, but honestly, the initial bite wasn't the worst part, she says. Sure, it stings, but it's the intense swelling and relentless itching that hits you the following day that's truly unbearable.⁠ ⁠ These impressive creatures, nicknamed "toe biters," belong to the Belostomatidae family and are aquatic predatory insects typically inhabiting ponds and calm waters. The young ones feast on water arthropods and small fish, using specialized piercing mouthparts to inject paralyzing venom before draining their prey's body fluids. This same venom becomes their defense mechanism when threatened.⁠ ⁠ Adult giant water bugs take to the skies during mating season to find partners and establish new territories. After reproduction, females deposit their eggs directly onto the male's back for protection until hatching - discovering a male car...