from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Water bug \Wa"ter bug`\ (Zool.)
(a) The Croton bug.
(b) Any one of numerous species of large, rapacious, aquatic,
hemipterous insects belonging to {Belostoma}, {Benacus},
{Zaitha}, and other genera of the family
{Belostomatidae}. Their hind legs are long and fringed,
and act like oars. Some of these insects are of great
size, being among the largest existing Hemiptera. Many of
them come out of the water and fly about at night.
[1913 Webster]