Ranatra Water Scorpion

Description

These look like a cross between a piece of grass, a mantis and a stick-insect. Ranatra quadridentata are predatory and rely on their resemblance to aquatic weeds to ambush small, live prey.

They are venomous and the bites can be a bit painful as they use their venom to immobilize their prey and then, like giant water bugs, this also helps to break down the internal tissues for them to drink up through their rostrum (see video below).

They do fine in any kind of fresh water, but require a floating platform like a stick or piece of floating bark to hold onto. They breathe through the tip of their abdomens and will hold onto the platform to make this easier.

All specimens appear to be adults and are 3 to 4 inches long. $9.99 each. Overnight shipping highly recommended.

Bugguide.Net has photos here.

From my Youtube channel below, you can see some video about these just after the 8 minute mark.