No.62 Giant water bug Kirkaldyia deyrolli

The giant water bug is one of Japan's largest aquatic true bugs, reaching 48-65 mm as an adult in rice paddies and ponds. It seizes fish and frogs with its sickle-like forelegs, injects digestive fluid through a needle-like rostrum, and sucks up the liquefied tissue. In the breeding season the male carries water to the egg mass and guards it. It is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the Ministry of the Environment Red List and is a nationally designated rare species.

This specimen was CT-scanned at the request of BANDAI CO., LTD. The 3D data is used for the giant water bug in the capsule toy series "Ikimono Daizukan".
BANDAI CO., LTD. "Ikimono Daizukan":
https://gashapon.jp/dangomushi/special/adv_giant_water_bug02/

The CT scan captures the partly hardened forewings and membranous hindwings spread wide, preserving the wing venation exactly as it is. A high-density structure stands out brightly at the centre of the thorax, surrounded by softer tissue. Both the thick raptorial forelegs and the walking legs are hollow inside, gaining their strength from the thickness of the exoskeleton (cuticle) alone.