Reproducing is a complicated process for giant water bugs. Unlike the vast majority of animals (excluding fish), it’s the male water bugs who provide care.

The strategies used to care for the eggs vary between the two sub-families: while the Belostomatinae sub-family are back brooders, carrying their eggs around with them, the other sub-family Lethocerinae guard their eggs by staying with them where they are laid.

Because of all this effort – it takes between 1 and 3 weeks of this care for the eggs to hatch – males want to be sure the eggs are theirs.

But the females can store sperm from previous encounters, which is a not a good thing for males. So the male insists they mate maybe 3 times (at least), then he’ll let her lay some eggs. Then they’ll mate another few times, and she can lay a few more. It’s not unknown for them to have sex 50 times before the male is satisfied, taking perhaps six hours.

Photo: Left – Water bug (genus: Lethocerus) guarding its eggs (credit to Hyla 2009). Right – Water bug (genus: Abedus) carrying its eggs on its back (credit to Greg Mayberry).
Via Zoo.org and The Dragonfly Woman.