Behavioral-model-organism
Guides
Belostoma flumineum
giant water bug, toe biter
Belostoma flumineum is a North American giant water bug reaching 2–2.5 cm in length. This aquatic predator inhabits ponds, wetlands, and marshes with muddy bottoms, where it preys on aquatic invertebrates including backswimmers, water boatmen, dragonfly nymphs, and snails. The species exhibits exclusive paternal care: females deposit eggs on the male's back, and males carry and oxygenate the eggs for 7–14 days until hatching. Recent studies document significant shifts in reproductive phenology, with northeastern populations losing their historical fall breeding peak between 2005–2006 and 2012–2015.
Dissosteira
Dissosteira is a genus of bandwinged grasshoppers in the family Acrididae, containing four recognized species distributed across North America. Members are medium to large in size, typically 1 to 1.5 inches in length, with slender bodies and distinctive wing patterns. The genus is characterized by a high median pronotal crest deeply cut by one sulcus. The most widely known species is Dissosteira carolina, the Carolina Grasshopper, noted for its black hindwings with yellow margins and its habit of flying over bare ground.