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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Pill, Water and Toe-winged Beetles (Byrrhoidea) » Water Penny Beetles (Psephenidae)

Family Psephenidae - Water Penny Beetles

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Range · Habitat · Food · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

non-gilled Water Penny Beetle - Ectopria nervosa

black and orange beetle - Ectopria nervosa - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Byrrhoidea (Pill, Water and Toe-winged Beetles)

Family Psephenidae (Water Penny Beetles)

Other Common Names

Long-toed Water Beetles (1)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Psephenidae Lacordaire, 1854 (ITIS)

Explanation of Names

Water penny: larvae are flat and circular, and live in water

Psephenidae is from genus Psephenus Haldeman, that from Greek psepheno dark, obscure and/or psepho meaning "a small stone" or darkness (2).

Numbers

16 species in 6 genera in North America (3)

Size

typically 3-6 mm

Range

in North America, most species occur in the west

also found in several regions of the world; greatest diversity in the Orient

Habitat

Larvae are aquatic and cling to the underside of rocks in fast-flowing streams.

Adults crawl over rocks and vegetation along streams.

Food

larvae graze on algae

Print References

Arnett, American Beetles, Vol. 2, Chapter 48 (4)

Borror, entries for psepheno, psepho (2)

Ciegler, p. 177 (5)

Dillon and Dillon, p. 365, plate 18--adult of Psephenus herricki (1)

Internet References

Animal Diversity Web--Psephenidae

live larva image and distinguishing characteristics of larva (North Carolina State University)

live larva images showing upper and lower surfaces (Danielle Love, Western Washington Univ.)

Works Cited

1.	A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence

2.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms By Donald J. Borror

3.	Nearctica: Nomina Insecta Nearctica

4.	American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea By Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.)

5.	Water Beetles of South Carolina By Janet Ciegler

Contributed by tom murray on 2 November, 2005 - 8:29pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Robin McLeod, Phillip Harpootlian
Last updated 7 November, 2009 - 6:34am

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