When it comes to creepy crawlers in kitchens and bathrooms, the water bug vs. roach confusion is real. Both have six legs, long antennae, and oval-shaped bodies. But their biology, habitats, and behaviors reveal they’re not the same.

Cockroaches and water bugs belong to different insect orders. Cockroaches, like the German or American cockroach, are true roaches.

Water bugs, like the giant water bug (also known as the electric light bug or toe biter), are aquatic insects from the order Hemiptera—a group of true bugs.

Natural Habitat and Behavior

Water bugs hunt. They live in freshwater environments such as slow-moving streams or swimming pools and prey on small aquatic animals like insects, tadpoles, or small fish. These bugs use a pointed beak to inject digestive enzymes into their

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