Eastern toe-biter
Benacus griseus
The eastern toe-biter is a giant water bug, one of the biggest water insects in eastern North America. It is flat and brown, with strong front legs for grabbing. It lives in ponds and lakes and is a fierce hunter.
Lives in
Eastern North America, from New England and Ontario to Florida, Texas, Mexico and Cuba
Length
4.7 to 6.4 cm (1.9 to 2.5 in)
Can it hurt you?
Can bite
It can give a painful bite if you step on it or pick it up, which is how it got its name. It is not dangerous, but watch your toes in the pond.
What does it eat?
Like other giant water bugs, it grabs fish, tadpoles and insects in the water.
How big is it?
How long is it?
🧱as long as 2 toy building bricks in a row🛁could swim the length of a bathtub in 1.8 seconds
How big is Eastern toe-biter compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Eastern toe-biter about 4.1 km/h (2.5 mph)
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
It can be more than 6 centimetres long.
2
It is the only species in its group, Benacus.
3
Its back legs are wide and flat, like paddles for swimming.
4
It has black stripes on its underside.
you asked
Most asked questions about Eastern toe-biter
?Does the eastern toe-biter really bite toes?
It can bite if you step on it or grab it, and the bite hurts, but it is not dangerous.
?How big is the eastern toe-biter?
About 4.7 to 6.4 centimetres long, one of the biggest water insects in its area.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Benacus griseus
- Group
- True bugs and cicadas
- Family
- Belostomatidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Hemiptera > Belostomatidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Benacus griseus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by John P. Friel. CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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