Egg-carrying
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Belostoma lutarium
giant water bug
Belostoma lutarium is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to North America. This aquatic insect is notable for its distinctive paternal care behavior, in which males carry egg clutches on their backs until hatching—a rare form of male parental investment in insects. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism with females being the larger sex, and studies suggest males may be the choosier sex in mate selection. As a predator, it feeds on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and amphibian larvae including tadpoles.