I waded into a pond the other day while fishing and this critter came swimming up to me. He was over an inch long with giant pinchers on the front
He swam right to me so I caught him in a bait cup for a photo shoot.
Giant Water Bugs are quite facinating. They eat anything they can catch in those giant pinchers; even baby ducklings.
They can dive underwater for extended periods of time by capturing a bubble of air under their wings. Although they spend most of their time out of the water hanging on to nearby vegetation, they can fly short periods. They winter in the mud in the bottom of the pond.
Giant Water Bugs take in air to survive through air straps on their rear end. They are stress tolerant. They are known toe pinchers, so take care when wading or swimming in a pond near you.
Source: Freshwater Invertebrates of North America 
by J. Reese Voshell, Jr
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