[5] The oldest fossil member of this family is Triassonepa from the Late Triassic-aged Cow Branch Formation of Virginia & North Carolina, USA.

The frontal legs are modified into raptorial appendages that they use to grab their prey, except in the African Limnogeton, which has "normal" forelegs and is a specialized snail-eater.

While the members of the subfamily Lethocerinae can disperse by flying,[1] other species, including Abedus herberti, have a greatly reduced flight apparatus and are flightless.

[2][10] Giant Water Bugs exhibit muscle regression as they develop from nymphs to adults, adapting their musculature for a more energy-efficient predatory lifestyle, which may influence their hunting strategies and ecological interactions.

Lauck & Menke, 1961 subfamily Stygeonepinae Popov, 1971 † Belostomatids are aggressive predators that stalk, capture, and feed on fish, amphibians, as well as aquatic invertebrates such as snails and crustaceans.

[8] Belostomatids show paternal care and these aspects have been studied extensively, among others involving the North American Belostoma flumineum and the East Asian Lethocerus (Kirkaldyia) deyrollei.

[5] In Southeast Asia they are often collected for this purpose using large floating traps on ponds, set with black lights to attract the bugs.