The giant insects that prey on turtles, ducklings and even snakes

Like birds of prey, or great savannah predators, here are insects that really eat whatever they find.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Not all insects are small, elusive, and inconspicuous, and not all insects eat tiny, affordable food. Some, aquatic, are so large that they can eat turtles, ducklings and even poisonous snakes. The incredible research is the work of Shin ‐ ya Ohba of Nagasaki University.

Like birds of prey, or the great predators of the savannah, these insects really eat everything they find, waiting for potential prey with patience and cunning. And they are all over the world, encompassing around 150 known species. The largest, with the scientific name Lethocerus grandis and Lethocerus maximus, live in South America and can exceed 10 centimeters in length.

Big, therefore, giants if you think that they are "only" insects, but not enormous in an absolute sense (certainly not like those of prehistory). Yet these extraordinary creatures are not truly afraid of anything. They attack the most unthinkable prey, even the turtles.

Aquatic insects, but not fish. In fact, they breathe the oxygen of the air, but they settle on the aquatic plants and take it by "snorkelling" through a sort of snorkel placed on the back. This way they patiently wait for their prey, which they attack as soon as they are close enough.

Foto: Entomological Science

And the predation is terrible: these aggressive insects quickly shake their front legs and grab the creature with the others. At this point they pierce their prey with a proboscis similar to a dagger, injecting enzymes and sometimes anesthetic chemicals. At this point, the "cooking" is ready and the food can be eaten calmly. For larger prey, the meal can last several hours.

Poisonous snakes on guard! Even an insect can feed on you. David and Goliath really exist.

The work was published in Entomological Science.

Read also:

• Insects risk extinction by the end of the century due to pesticides
• Let's get ready: the food of our fields will be invaded by an army of all-eating insects

Roberta de carolis

cover photo