Giant Water Bug...

...has absolutely nothing to do with animal rescue - except that I made sure no harm came to it and everyone just left it alone. It did have to endure the big two legs with her black box click click clicking away. It is Water bug - of what exact subspecies I have no clue and other than confirming my guess of what this guy was I haven't bothered to do any more research - kinda tells me a lot just discovering him (or her). According to a blog I found and the person seemed to be pretty knowledgable so I'll accept what this person said - not usually what I do, but it isn't going to change the direction of the nearest river if I don't.

This species of bug hibernates through the winter in my location and well this guy probably just came out not too long ago - which could of been anywhere - including the Jeep hatch that it fell from. But more than likely it came from one of the nearby trees.

When I shut the Jeep hatch - it hit the ground and thrashed around like a fish out of water - which drew my attention to it in the first place. Got Georgia's attention too and it was almost a goner, but Georgia came off of prey (her idea of prey), when told to "leave it". She was a good girl and just laid down near to watch the odd little flip floppy thing. Told all three of the dogs to stand down the little bug while I ran and got my camera. Paca and Caroline were to busy wrestling to even know there was a bug, Georgia was intent but she wouldn't harm it - she was minding me.

When I returned with the camera Georgia soon lost interest, if I wasn't going to be trapping it then it wasn't going to try and escape so no chance of a chase, she moved onto something else while I took some really good photos.

I thought at one point that it looked very cock roach like, but its shell is hard and beetle like and besides I have only seen them odd middle rear legs on water bugs - and - nothing else. I believe this to be a juvenile Giant Water Bug.

(Lethocerus americanus)