Lethocerus indicus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Lethocerus indicus is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeast China, the Ryukyu Islands, and New Guinea. It was originally described as Belostoma indicum but is no longer placed in that genus.
This insect is well known as an edible species in a number of different Southeast Asian cuisines. The taste of the flight muscles is often compared to sweet scallops or shrimp. The Asian region has several species of Belostomatidae including L. patruelis, L. insulanus, L. indicus, and Kirkaldyia deyrolli. L. indicus typically has a length between 6.5 and 8 cm (2.6 and 3.1 in). Lethocerus insulanus is found along the islands of Southeast Asia to northern Australia and has a medial dark stripe between the light stripes of the pronotum while patruelis (found from southern Europe to Myanmar) has narrower light stripes and the first tarsomere on the foreleg is longer than the claw (almost equal in L. indicus). Kirkaldyia deyrolli is paler and lacks pronotal stripes. The genus Kirkaldyia can be distinguished from Lethocerus by more widely separated eyes, and the presence of two asymmetrical furrows on the inner setal... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coimbatore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Asian Giant Water Bug sighting in Bangkok on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 203rd most-seen of the 245 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May, September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Asian Giant Water Bug in Bangkok on a given day, against under 5% in June–August, October and December–April, the lowest months. Those are among Bangkok's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in December.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Asian Giant Water Bug sightings, Bangkok ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Coimbatore (India, about 10%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the Asian Giant Water Bug that you can see in Bangkok (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Kapok Bug (about 10%), Aquarius adelaidis (about 10%) and Sweet Potato Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Asian Giant Water Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Bangkok (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
