The genus Kirkaldyia can be distinguished from Lethocerus by more widely separated eyes, and the presence of two asymmetrical furrows on the inner setal pad of the fore femur.

[2] The species is distributed widely in peninsular India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, into Southeast Asia, extending east to Taiwan and south along Sumatra, Java, Indonesia, Philippines and parts of western Papua New Guinea.

The high degree of structural order makes is possible to obtain X-ray diffraction patterns richer and more detailed than those from vertebrate striated muscle.

Cà cuống is typically used sparsely and eaten with bánh cuốn (rice noodle rolls) by adding a drop to the nước chấm (dipping sauce).

The dish traditionally includes rice noodles, thinly sliced egg crepe, pork cold cuts, and other various additions in a chicken/dry squid broth.

It is sauteed or fried in oil, garlic, onions and tomatoes, or roasted, after the wings and legs have been removed, and eaten as a viand for steamed rice or as a finger food with liquor.

[6] Consumption of *Lethocerus indicus* is valued for its nutritional benefits, including high protein content, and forms part of a broader cultural practice of entomophagy in the region.