When the insect in question was called it a "water bug" I first thought of
the large cockroaches that they call "water bugs" in New Orleans (where I
lived many years ago). I seem to remember they were about 2" long and had
relatively large bodies. I looked up "water bug" and "cockroach" on the
internet and saw that at least Blatta orientalis the Oriental Cockroach is
sometimes called a "water bug", but there may be other cockroaches called
"water bugs" in addition to the true bugs (hemiptera) such as the large
pinching one I learned as a "Toe Pincher" that may be called "water bugs".

Stewart Wechsler
Ecological Consulting
West Seattle
206 932-7225
ecostewart at quidnunc.net

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and how to enhance habitat for the maximum diversity
of plants and animals
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-----Original Message-----
From: Lydia Bishop


Tweeters is such a great resource for all sorts of natural science
information.

Mike Patterson, take a bow, IDd my mystery bug. It's not really a
cockroach. It's a waterbug, scientific name

Lethocerus americanus_and hitched a ride up here from Texas. The
literature says it's not a pest, but can bite. I hope it died before it
could bite the girl who took it home with her. I gave her a plastic bag to
carry it home in.