{{Short description|Genus of true bugs}} {{Italic title}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = NIE 1905 Fishkiller.jpg | taxon = Belostoma | authority = Latreille, 1807 | display_parents=2 | synonyms = * ''Belostomum'' {{Au|Burmeister, 1835}} * ''Perthostoma'' {{Au|Leidy, 1847}} * ''Zaitha'' {{Au|Amyot & Serville, 1843}} }}
'''''Belostoma''''' is a genus of insects in the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, known colloquially as giant water bugs. Members of this genus are native to freshwater habitats in the Americas, with the greatest species richness in tropical South America.<ref name=Ribero>{{cite journal |last1=Ribeiro |first1=Josi Ricardo Inacio |title=A review of the species of Belostoma Latreille, 1807 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) from the four southeastern Brazilian states |journal=Zootaxa |date=17 May 2007 |volume=1477 |issue=1 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.1477.1.1 }}</ref> Most species in the family Belostomatidae have historically been included in ''Belostoma'', but several of these have been moved to other genera (although ''Belostoma'' remains a genus with many members).<ref name=Ribero/><ref name=PerezG>{{cite journal |last1=Perez-Goodwyn |first1=P. J. |date=2006 |title=Taxonomic revision of the subfamily Lethocerinae Lauck & Menke (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) |journal=Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde Serie A (Biologie) |volume=695 |pages=1–71 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/57368883 }}</ref> 9 species are claimed to be found in Northern America, but the genus Belostoma is actually divided into 16 subgroups containing about 70 species.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Menke |editor1-first=Arnold S. |editor2-last=Chapman |editor2-first=Harold C. |title=The Semiaquatic and Aquatic Hemiptera of California (Heteroptera: Hemiptera) |date=1979 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-09592-2 }}{{pn|date=September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stefanello |first1=Fabiano |last2=Ribeiro |first2=José Ricardo Inacio |last3=Estévez |first3=Ana Lia |title=Revision of the Belostoma triangulum group (Insecta: Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) |journal=Zootaxa |date=14 April 2021 |volume=4958 |issue=1 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4958.1.8 |pmid=33903455 }}</ref>
==Habits== The morphology and the behavior of giant water bugs of the genus Belostoma is very similar to those of the genus ''Lethocerus'' and Abedus, which all belong to the family of the Belostomatidae. They also show breeding habits similar to those of the family of the Belostomatidae. They show paternal care. The males are carrying the eggs cemented on theirs backs, that are placed there by the females. The males carry them until the nymphs hatch.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=Zablotny |first1=James E. |title=Encyclopedia of Insects |chapter=Sociality |date=2009 |pages=928–935 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-374144-8.00246-0 |isbn=978-0-12-374144-8 }}</ref>
Bugs of the genus Belostoma prefer lentic habitats with submerged or emergent vegetation and for overwintering the adults fly to ponds and slow-moving waters. During the springtime and the early summer they often fly to electric light-sources, thus they are also called "electric-light-bugs".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hilsenhoff |first1=William L. |title=Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates |chapter=Diversity and classification of insects and Collembola |date=2001 |pages=661–731 |doi=10.1016/B978-012690647-9/50018-1 |isbn=978-0-12-690647-9 }}</ref> The life circle contains one generation a year. The length of the bodies is between 15 and 41,5mm.<ref name=":1">McLeod, Robin; Richards, ''Brady; BugGuide, Genus Belostoma''; Iowa State University, Departement of Entomology, last update 2020, by: https://bugguide.net/node/view/16164</ref>
Nymphs and adults are predators eating fish, amphians, snails, and invertebrates. Sometimes small turtles and snakes also may be their prey. They stalk their prey by hanging head downwards under the water surface, striking using the rostrum and injecting digestive saliva. The sting of these bugs may be very painful but it is harmless, but because of that fact these bugs are also called "toe-biters".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Encountered by larger animals they often play dead. Giant water bugs sometimes are eaten by crocodilia such as young alligators.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Soares |first1=D. |title=Evolution of Nervous Systems |chapter=The Evolution of Dome Pressure Receptors in Crocodiles |date=2007 |pages=157–162 |doi=10.1016/B0-12-370878-8/00131-2 |isbn=978-0-12-370878-6 }}</ref>
==Species==
The following species belong to the genus ''Belostoma'':<span style="color:gray"><sup> i c g b</sup></span> {{Div col|colwidth=29em}} *''Belostoma amazonum'' Estévez & J. Polhemus, 2001 *''Belostoma angustum'' Lauck, 1964 *''Belostoma anurum'' (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1848) *''Belostoma asiaticum'' (Mayr, 1863) *''Belostoma aurivillianum'' (Montandon, 1899) *''Belostoma aztecum'' Lauck, 1959 *''Belostoma bachmanni'' De Carlo, 1957 * ''Belostoma bakeri'' Montandon, 1913 * ''Belostoma bergi'' (Montandon, 1899) * ''Belostoma bicavum'' Lauck, 1964 * ''Belostoma bifoveolatum'' Spinola, 1852 * ''Belostoma bordoni'' De Carlo, 1966 * ''Belostoma boscii'' Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau & Audinet-Serville, 1825 * ''Belostoma bosqi'' De Carlo, 1932 * ''Belostoma cachoeirinhensis'' Lanzer-de-Souza, 1996 * ''Belostoma candidulum'' Montandon, 1903 * ''Belostoma carajaensis'' Ribeiro and Estévez, 2009 * ''Belostoma columbiae'' Lauck, 1962 * ''Belostoma confusum'' Lauck, 1959 * ''Belostoma costalimai'' De Carlo, 1938 * ''Belostoma cummingsi'' De Carlo, 1935 * ''Belostoma dallasi'' De Carlo, 1930 * ''Belostoma dentatum'' Mayr, 1863 * ''Belostoma denticolle'' Montandon, 1903 * ''Belostoma dilatatum'' Dufour, 1863 * ''Belostoma discretum'' Montandon, 1903 * ''Belostoma doesburgi'' De Carlo, 1966 * ''Belostoma elegans'' Mayr, 1871 * ''Belostoma ellipticum'' Latreille, 1817 * ''Belostoma elegans'' Mayr, 1871 * ''Belostoma elongatum'' Montandon, 1908 * ''Belostoma estevezae'' Ribeiro and Alecrim, 2008 * ''Belostoma fakir'' Gistl, 1848 * ''Belostoma fittkaui'' De Carlo, 1966 * ''Belostoma flumineum'' Say, 1832 * ''Belostoma foveolatum'' Mayr, 1863 * ''Belostoma fusciventre'' Dufour, 1863 * ''Belostoma grande'' Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843 * ''Belostoma gestroi'' Montandon, 1900 * ''Belostoma guianae'' Lauck, 1962 * ''Belostoma harrisi'' Lauck, 1962 * ''Belostoma hirsutum'' Roback and Nieser, 1974 * ''Belostoma horvathi'' Montandon, 1903 * ''Belostoma husseyi'' De Carlo, 1960 * ''Belostoma lariversi'' De Carlo, 1960 * ''Belostoma lutarium'' Stål, 1855 * ''Belostoma machrisi'' De Carlo, 1962 * ''Belostoma malkini'' Lauck, 1962 * ''Belostoma martinezi'' De Carlo, 1957 * ''Belostoma martini'' Montandon, 1899 * ''Belostoma menkei'' De Carlo, 1960 * ''Belostoma micantulum'' Stål, 1860 * ''Belostoma minor'' Palisot de Beauvois, 1820 * ''Belostoma minusculum'' Uhler, 1884 * ''Belostoma nessimiani'' Ribeiro and Alecrim, 2008 * ''Belostoma nicaeum'' Estévez and J. Polhemus, 2007 * ''Belostoma noualhieri'' Montandon, 1903 * ''Belostoma orbiculatum'' Estévez and J. Polhemus, 2001 * ''Belostoma oxyurum'' Dufour, 1863 * ''Belostoma parvoculum'' Lauck, 1964 * ''Belostoma parvum'' Estévez and J. Polhemus, 2007 * ''Belostoma plebejum'' Stål, 1860 * ''Belostoma porteri'' De Carlo, 1942 * ''Belostoma pseudoguianae'' Roback and Nieser, 1974 * ''Belostoma pygmeum'' Dufour, 1863 * ''Belostoma retusum'' Estévez and J. Polhemus, 2001 * ''Belostoma ribeiroi'' De Carlo, 1933 * ''Belostoma sanctulum'' Montandon, 1903 * ''Belostoma saratogae'' Menke, 1958 * ''Belostoma sattleri'' De Carlo, 1966 * ''Belostoma sayagoi'' De Carlo, 1966 * ''Belostoma stollii'' Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843 * ''Belostoma subspinosum'' Palisot, 1820 * ''Belostoma testaceopallidum'' Latreille, 1807 * ''Belostoma testaceum'' Leidy, 1847 * ''Belostoma thomasi'' Lauck, 1959 * ''Belostoma triangulum'' Lauck, 1964 * ''Belostoma uhleri'' Montandon, 1897 * ''Belostoma venezuelae'' Lauck, 1962
{{Div col end}} <small>Data sources: i = ITIS,<ref name=itis/> c = Catalogue of Life,<ref name=catlife/> g = GBIF,<ref name=gbif/> b = Bugguide.net<ref name=bugref/></small>
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=itis> {{Cite web| title=''Belostoma'' Report | url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=103684 | website=Integrated Taxonomic Information System | access-date=2018-05-01 }}</ref> <ref name=catlife>{{Cite web | title=Browse ''Belostoma'' | url=http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/browse/tree/id/f2f668c4bae4da770bb92f5bad722bf7 | website=Catalogue of Life | access-date=2018-05-01 | archive-date=2018-05-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503042540/http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/browse/tree/id/f2f668c4bae4da770bb92f5bad722bf7 }}</ref> <ref name=gbif> {{Cite web| title=''Belostoma'' | url=https://www.gbif.org/species/2007565 | website=GBIF | access-date=2018-05-01 }}</ref> <ref name=bugref> {{Cite web| title=''Belostoma'' Genus Information | url=https://bugguide.net/node/view/16164 | website=BugGuide.net | access-date=2018-05-01 }}</ref> }}
==External links== * {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Fishkiller|short=x}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q10427976}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Belostomatidae Category:Nepomorpha genera Category:Hemiptera of South America Category:Hemiptera of Central America Category:Hemiptera of North America Category:Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille