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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Water Scavenger and Clown Beetles (Hydrophiloidea) » Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae) » Hydrophilus » Hydrophilus triangularis
Photo#86318
unknown diving beetle? near temporary pool - Hydrophilus triangularis
Copyright © 2006 Matt Windsor

unknown diving beetle? near temporary pool - Hydrophilus triangularis
nags head, Dare County, North Carolina, USA
November 8, 2006
Size: 3.5 cm
has what appears to be a "keel" on bottom of carapace

Images of this individual: tag all
unknown diving beetle? near temporary pool - Hydrophilus triangularis unknown diving beetle? near temporary pool - Hydrophilus triangularis unknown diving beetle? near temporary pool - Hydrophilus triangularis
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Contributed by Matt Windsor on 8 November, 2006 - 3:33pm
Last updated 9 November, 2006 - 8:47pm

Hydrophilidae.
That "keel" is a hallmark of the water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae. Try seeing if Hydrophilus triangularis is a match to this specimen.
… Eric R. Eaton, 8 November, 2006 - 5:20pm login or register to post comments

 
Hydrophilids and keels...
The sternal keel, if present, is in fact diagnostic for hydrophilids but it is only found ca. 6% of the species (e.g. 200 of 3300 species, or the five genera in the subtribe Hydrophilina). How it became a common character in all the textbooks I do not know. This species is, in fact, almost certainly Hydrophilus triangularis. The only other US species of the genus outside of Texas is H. ovatus, which can be distinguished by the prosternal carina being compeleted divided into two (only partly divided in H. triangularis).
… Andrew Short, 9 November, 2006 - 1:14am login or register to post comments

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