Belostomatid

Six powerful legs, each ending in a hooked claw, jut from the shieldlike body of this massive insect.

Belostomatid CR 3

XP 800
N Large vermin
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +0; Aura stench (DC 15, 3 rounds)

AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, â1 size)
hp 30 (4d8+12)
Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +1
Immune mind-affecting effects

Speed 20 ft., fly 20 ft. (poor), swim 40 ft.
Melee* 2 claws +6 (1d4+3 plus grab), bite +6 (1d8+4 plus digestive enzymes)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks digestive enzymes

Str 19, Dex 13, Con 16, Int â, Wis 11, Cha 2
Base Atk +3; CMB +8 (+12 grapple); CMD 19 (27 vs. trip)
Skills* Fly +1, Stealth +0 (+8 in water), Swim +14; Racial Modifiers +8 on Stealth in water
SQ hold breath

Digestive Enzymes (Ex)

A belostomatid injects a corrosive enzyme into its prey that both paralyzes and liquefies flesh. A creature struck by the belostomatidâs piercing bite must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. For every round the creature is paralyzed it takes 1d2 points of Constitution damage.

Hold Breath (Ex)

A belostomatid can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Environment temperate lakes, rivers, or swamps
Organization solitary
Treasure none

The belostomatid is the monstrous form of its diminutive counterpart, a 5-inch-long âgiantâ water bug commonly known as a âtoe-biter.â A monstrous belostomatid has a flattened, oval-shaped body measuring 12 feet long, and four rear, oarlike legs, which it uses to thrust through the water. The belostomatidâs front two legs are thick and end in sharp, single-tipped claws, which it uses to slay its prey. Two large black eyes are mounted on each side of the creatureâs rostrum, and it uses its 2-foot-long, beaklike proboscis to inject its deadly acidic enzymes into its victims.

Belostomatids are ambush predators. They hide amid floating snags and piles of debris in still and slow-moving waters, seamlessly blending in with their surroundings despite their size. With a powerful surge forward, a belostomatid grabs its prey, thrusts its rostrum deep into the preyâs body, and begins pumping a paralyzing digestive enzyme into its prey, dissolving it from the inside out.