pt ▁along ▁in ▁flash ▁flo ods . ▁ ▁Bre eding ▁ ▁Gi ant ▁water ▁bugs ▁exhib it ▁male ▁parent al ▁care . ▁In ▁Ab ed us ▁and ▁other ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁sub family ▁Bel ost om at inae ▁( but ▁not ▁sub family ▁L eth oc er inae ), ▁the ▁female ▁gl ues ▁the ▁eggs ▁onto ▁the ▁male ' s ▁back ▁and ▁the ▁male ▁tends ▁them ▁until ▁the ▁eggs ▁h atch . ▁The ▁eggs ▁are ▁initially ▁yellow - white ▁but ▁gradually ▁change ▁to ▁gray - b rown . ▁They ▁can ▁be ▁quite ▁large ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁adult ; ▁in ▁the ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁A . ▁her ber ti ▁of ▁high land ▁streams ▁in ▁Arizona ▁and ▁north western ▁Mexico ▁each ▁egg ▁can ▁measure ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁ ▁when ▁fully ▁developed . ▁After ▁h atch ing , ▁the ▁n ym ph s ▁go ▁through ▁five ▁inst ar ▁stages ▁before ▁ad ul th ood . ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁unusual ▁bre eding ▁behavior , ▁especially ▁A . ▁her ber ti ▁is ▁often ▁displayed ▁in ▁zo os , ▁sometimes ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁sun bur st ▁div ing ▁be et le . ▁These ▁two ▁species ▁also ▁occur ▁together ▁in ▁the ▁wild . ▁ ▁Fe eding ▁Ab ed us ▁are ▁sit - and - wait ▁pred ators ▁that ▁catch ▁small ▁animals , ▁especially ▁in verte br ates ▁such ▁as ▁other ▁aqu atic ▁insect s ▁and ▁sn ails , ▁but ▁also ▁small ▁verte br ates ▁such ▁as ▁young ▁fish ▁and ▁t ad pol es . ▁Small ▁and