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Life Along a
Prairie River

Exploring the ecology of the wide and sandy rivers of the Great Plains

Big eyed toad bugs live along the water’s edge by lakes, ponds, and streams. They get their name because they have warty skin, hop, and feed on smaller insects… just like a toad! They are very small, oval bugs, about 5-9 mm — about half the size of a thumb nail. They are well camouflaged with a bumpy yellowish-brown exoskeleton and are hard to spot until they move.

To capture prey, toad bugs pounce onto small invertebrates and latch on with their front legs. They have bulging eyes on the side of their head for spotting their prey and for spotting things that may eat them too! Toad bugs are “true” bugs, because they have a tiny piercing straw-like mouth part that enables them to suck. This beak-like mouth is what they use to pierce their prey, inject digesting enzymes, and suck up their food. This type of mouth also allows toad bugs to give you a painful poke if you pick one up! “True” bugs also have wings that are half hardened and half membrane.

Toad bugs can be found near the water’s edge of rivers, creeks, or ponds on mud or sand. In addition to their feeding habitat, these are also suitable locations for them to lay eggs in the substrate. These bugs have a large range, from New England to Virginia, west to Manitoba and Oregon, and south to Mexico.

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