NRE 516 - Aquatic Entomology
Lab Notes on the Coleoptera  - "Aquatic Beetles"

Introduction and General Characteristics
Recent Synonomies
Classification of Families and Subfamilies of Aquatic Coleoptera
List of Taxa Presented in Lab
Additional References

Recommended Readings

Leech, H. B., and H. P. Chandler. 1956. Aquatic Coleoptera, pp. 293-371 (Chapter 13) in Aquatic Insects of California. R. L. Usinger (ed.). University of California Press: Berkeley, California.

Introduction and General Characteristics

Coleoptera is the largest of the insect orders. Although largely terrestrial, there are about 5,000 aquatic species in about 15 diverse families, 10 of which have adult and larval stages in aquatic environments. Three families have aquatic larvae but terrestrial adults, and two families have terrestrial larvae but aquatic adults. Most common in lentic habitats, a few families are principally lotic. Coleopterans are both primary consumers and predators. Their habitats are also attractive to fish and birds, thus we usually do not find coleopterans in high densities.

Adults are characterized by heavy scleritization and an elytra (sclerotized forewing that shields the metathoracic wing). Antennae segments normally are short, with a maximum of 10-11 segments. Larval morphology is extremely variable, but generally have sclerotized head capsules, short antennae (2-3 segments), and no hind prolegs.

The two major suborders in Michigan are Adephaga and Polyphaga. The former have larvae with 5 tarsal segments, and generally 2 moveable tarsal claws per leg. Adults are generally smooth and shiny ventrally, air is carried under the elytra, and a tip at the posterior end of the body to take in air. The postcoxal processes generally are well-developed and long. Polyphaga larvae have tarsi with 4 segments, 1 tarsal claw per leg fused to the tarsi. Adults generally have a thick, hydrofuge pile on sterna 1 and 2. Air is stored under the elytra and thorax, and these beetles break the water surface with their head and collect air with their shoulders.

Recent Synonomies

Scirtidae = Helodidae
Ptilodactylidae = Dascillidae
Heterosternuta = Hydroporus (part)
Lioporeus = Hydroporus (part)
Neoporus = Hydroporus (part)
Sanfilippodytes = Hydroporus (part)
Stictotarsus = Deronectes (part)
Nebrioporus = Deronectes (part) 

Classification of Families and Subfamilies of Aquatic Coleoptera
(modified from Lawrence and Newton 1995)

     Suborder Myxophaga Crowson 1955
                    Family Torridincolidae Steffan 1964 #
                    Family Hydroscaphidae LeConte 1874
                    Family Microsporidae Crotch 1873
     Suborder Adephaga Schellenberg 1806
                    Family Gyrinidae Latreille 1810
                         Subfamily Spanglerogyrinae Folkerts 1979
                         Subfamily Gyrininae Latreille 1810
                    Family Haliplidae Aube 1836
                    Family Noteridae Thomson 1860
                         Subfamily Phreatodytinae Ueno 1957
                         Subfamily Noterinae Thomson 1860
                    Family Amphizoidae LeConte 1853
                    Family Hygrobiidae Regimbart 1878 (1837) #
                    Family Dytiscidae Leach 1815
                         Subfamily Copelatinae Van den Branden 1885
                         Subfamily Laccophilinae Gistel 1856
                         Subfamily Hydroporinae Aube 1836
                         Subfamily Colymbetinae Erichson 1837
                         Subfamily Dytiscinae Leach 1815
                         Subfamily Aubehydrinae Guignot 1942
                    Family Carabidae Latreille 1802 *
     Suborder Polyphaga Emery 1886
          Series Staphyliniformia Lameere 1900
               Superfamily Hydrophiloidea Latreille 1802
                    Family Hydrophilidae Latreille 1802
                         Subfamily Helophorinae Leach 1815
                         Subfamily Epimetopinae Zaitzev 1908
                         Subfamily Georissinae Laporte 1840
                         Subfamily Hydrochinae Thomson 1860
                         Subfamily Spercheinae Erichson 1837 #
                         Subfamily Horelophinae Hansen 1991 #
                         Subfamily Hydrophilinae Latreille 1802
                         Subfamily Sphaeridiinae Latreille 1802
               Superfamily Staphylinoidea Latreille 1802
                    Family Hydraenidae Mulsant 1844
                         Subfamily Prosthetopinae Perkins in Perkins & Balfour-Browne 1994
                         Subfamily Hydraeninae Mulsant 1844
                         Subfamily Ochthebiinae Thomson 1859
                    Family Ptiliidae Erichson 1845/Motschulsky 1845 *
                         Subfamily Ptiliinae Erichson 1845/Motschulsky 1845 *
                         Subfamily Nanosellinae Barber 1924 *
                         Subfamily Cephaloplectinae Sharp 1883 *
                         Subfamily Acrotrichinae Reitter 1909 (1856) *
                    Family Staphylinidae Latreille 1802 *
          Series Elateriformia Crowson 1960
               Superfamily Scirtoidea Fleming 1821
                    Family Scirtidae Fleming 1821
               Superfamily Dascilloidea Guerin-Meneville 1843 (1834) *
                    Family Dascillidae Guerin-Meneville 1843 (1834) *
                         Subfamily Dascillinae Guerin-Meneville 1843 (1834) *
                         Subfamily Karumiinae Escalera 1913 *
               Superfamily Byrrhoidea Latreille 1804
                    Family Elmidae Curtis 1830
                         Subfamily Larainae LeConte 1861
                         Subfamily Elminae Curtis 1830
                    Family Dryopidae Billberg 1820 (1817)
                    Family Lutrochidae Kasap & Crowson 1975
                    Family Limnichidae Erichson 1846
                         Subfamily Hyphalinae Britton 1971
                         Subfamily Limnochinae Erichson 1846
                         Subfamily Cephalobyrrhinae Champion 1925
                         Subfamily Thaumastodinae Champion 1924
                    Family Heteroceridae MacLeay 1825
                         Subfamily Elythomerinae Pacheco 1964
                         Subfamily Heterocerinae MacLeay 1825
                    Family Psephenidae Lacordaire 1854
                         Subfamily Eubriinae Lacordaire 1857
                         Subfamily Psephenoidinae Hinton 1939
                         Subfamily Eubrianacinae Jacobson 1913 (1880)
                         Subfamily Psepheninae Lacordaire 1854
                    Family Ptilodactylidae Laporte 1836*
                         Subfamily Anchytarsinae Champion 1897 *
                    Family Eulichadidae Crowson 1973
               Superfamily Elateroidea Leach 1815
                    Family Lampyridae Latreille 1817*
          Series Cucujiformia Lameere 1938
               Superfamily Cleroidea Latreille 1802
                    Family Melyridae Leach 1815 *
               Superfamily Tenebrionoidea Latreille 1802
                    Family Tenebrionidae Latreille 1802 *
                    Family Salpingidae Leach 1815 *
                    Family Anthicidae Latreille 1802 *
               Superfamily Chrysomeloidea Latreille 1802
                    Family Chrysomelidae Latreille 1802*
               Superfamily Curculionoidea Latreille 1802
                    Family Curculionidae Latreille 1802 *

* = only aquatic species considered
# = not known from North America

List of Taxa Presented in Lab

Unless otherwise noted in the table below, you are required to identify to genus larval and adult specimens of Coleoptera

Additional References

Arnett, R. N. 1960. The beetles of the United States. Catholic University America press: Washington, D.C.

Bertrand, H. P. I. 1972. Larves et nymphes des Coléoptères aquatiques du globe. Henri Bertrand, Paris.

Beutel, R. G., and F. Haas. 2000. Phylogenetic relationships of the suborders of Coleoptera (Insecta). Cladistics 16:103-141

Brown, H. P. 1972. Aquatic dryopoid beetles (Coleoptera) of the United States. Biota of Freshwater Ecosystems Identification manual No. 6. Washington, D.C., U.S. EPA.

Brown, H. P., and D. S. White. 1978. Notes on separation and identification of North American riffle beetles (Coleoptera: Dryopoidea: Elmidae). Entomological news 89:1-13.

Finni, G. R., and B. A. Skinner. 1975. The Elmidae and Dryopidae (Coleoptera: Dryopoidea) of Indiana. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 48:388-395.

Galewski, K. 1986. Generic characters of third stage larvae of hydroporinae (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) with a key to European genera. Pol. Pismo. Entomol. 55:45-54.

Hicks, B. J., and D. J. Larson. 2000. Descriptions and recognition of larvae of some northern North American species of Ilybius Erichson (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin 54(1): 36-59.

Holland, D. G. 1972. A key to the larvae, pupae and adults of the British species of Elminthidae. Freshwater Biological Association Science Publication 26.

Kavanaugh, D. H. 1986. A systematic review of amphizoid beetles (Amphizoidae: Coleoptera) and their phylogenetic relationships to other Adephaga. Proceedings of the California Academy of Science 44:67-109.

Larson, D. A. 1975. The predaceous water beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) of Alberta: systematics, natural history and distribution. Quaestionnes Entomologicas 11:245-498.

Lawrence, J. F., and A. F. Newton, Jr. 1995. Families and subfamilies of Coleoptera (with selected genera, notes, references and data on family-group names), pp. 779-1006 in Biology, phylogeny, and classification of Coleoptera: Papers celebrating the 80th birthday of Roy A. Crowson. J. Pakaluk and S. A. Slipinski (eds.). Museum i Instytut Zoologii PAN: Warszawa, Poland.

LeSage, L., and P. P. Harper. 1976. Description de numphes d'Elmindae néarctiques (Coléoptères). Canadian Journal of Zoology 54:65-73.

Miller, K. B. 1998. Revision of the Nearctic Liodessus affinis (Say 1823) species group (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae, Bidessini). Entomologica Scandinavica 29(3): 281-314.

Ruhnau, S. 1986. Phylogenetic relations within the Hydradephage (Coleoptera) using larval and pupal characters. Entomologica Basiliense 11:231-271.

Stribling, J. B. 1986. Revision of Anchytarsus (Coleoptera: Dryopoidea) and a key to the New World Ptilodactylidae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 79:219-234.

Testa III, S., and P. K. Lago. 1995. The aquatic Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera) of Mississippi. Department of Information Services, Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University.

Willson, R. B. 1967. The Hydrophilidae of Michigan with keys to species of the Great Lakes Region. M.S. Thesis, Michigan State University. 100 pp.

Wolfe, G. W., and J. R. Zimmerman. 1984. Sensilla, punctuation, reticulation and body shape in the Hydroporinae (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). International Journal of Insect Morphology and Embryology 13:373-387.

Wooldridge, D. P. 1967. The aquatic Hydrophilidae of Illinois. Illinois State Academy of Sciences 60:422-431.

Young, F. N. 1954. The water beetles of Florida. University of Florida Press: Gainesville, Florida.

Young, D. K., and J. B. Stribling. 1990. Systematics of the North American Cyphon collaris species complex with the description of a new species (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 92(2):194-204

Page created: 19 March 2001 (EB)
Page last edited: 21 March 2001 (EB)