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Genus Stenus

black rove beetle with orange spots - Stenus comma Stenus sculptilis Casey - Stenus sculptilis Stenus Stenus r. reconditus (Casey) - Stenus reconditus water skater - Stenus flavicornis - male Stenus Stenus annularis Stenus juno
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Staphyliniformia)
Superfamily Staphylinoidea
Family Staphylinidae (Rove Beetles)
Subfamily Steninae (Water Skaters)
Genus Stenus
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Subgenera are understood to be artificial(1)
Explanation of Names
Stenus Latreille 1797
Numbers
one of the largest beetle genera, with ~170 spp. in our area(1) and ~3100 total(2)
Identification
habitus photos of >60 western spp.(3)
Adults have unique protrusible labium used in prey capture(1) &bull, video
Range
worldwide and throughout NA(1)
Habitat
mostly wet habitats; several spp. prey on low vegetation rather than on the ground
Remarks
Northern hemisphere spp. are arranged into 6 groups (useful, but not necessarily natural) traditionally called subgenera, based on 3 character states:
abdomen with, or without complete margin on sides;
hind tarsi about ½‒⅖ the length of tibia, or clearly longer;
tarsomere 4 simple to slightly notched, or deeply divided into lobes.
Often tumble into water from vegetation; can walk on water but slowly. When in danger, they release an anal gland secretion which lowers the water surface tension behind nd propels the beetles along at 45-70 cm/s; beetle controls the direction by moving abdomen side to side.(4)
Works Cited
1.American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia
Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). 2000. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
2.BioLib.cz
3.Photo gallery of the Spencer Entomological Collection
4.Insect Behavior
Robert W. Matthews and Janice R. Matthews. 1988. Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co.