Diet

• Adults and nymphs: Primarily predatory, feeding on small insects, mites and other tiny invertebrates found on or near the ground.

• They are also capable of scavenging and may consume a variety of small organic food sources.

• Their short, stout bodies and cryptic colouring allow them to remain concealed while searching through damp leaf litter and soil.

Range

• Nerthra is a genus of toad bugs (Family Gelastocoridae).

• The genus is widely distributed through the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, with species occurring from the southern United States and Mexico through Central and South America and the Caribbean.

• Around Zihua, Nerthra would be expected to be occasional to locally common in suitable wet habitats, particularly along streams, seepages, ponds and other areas with damp soil or leaf litter.

Habitat

• Unlike many aquatic true bugs, Nerthra is primarily terrestrial, although it is strongly associated with moisture.

• Typical habitats include stream margins, riverbanks, wet soil, muddy ground, damp leaf litter, seepages and the edges of ponds and wetlands.

• They are often found where there is a combination of moist substrate and loose organic debris, into which they can disappear rapidly when disturbed.

• During dry periods, individuals may retreat beneath stones, logs, bark and accumulated leaf litter.

Size

• Nerthra species are generally small to medium-sized, commonly around 6–12 mm long, although size varies among species.

• They have a distinctive broad, squat and somewhat toad-like body, which gives the family its common name.

• The body is usually brown, grey, tan or mottled, providing excellent camouflage against mud, soil, sand and leaf litter.

• The eyes are relatively prominent, while the head and thorax are broad and flattened.