Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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Crawling Water Beetles (Haliplidae)
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Peltodytes
Genus
Peltodytes
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia (Animals)
Phylum
Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum
Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class
Insecta (Insects)
Order
Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder
Adephaga
Family
Haliplidae (Crawling Water Beetles)
Genus
Peltodytes
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
All western hemisphere species were placed in subgenus
Neopeltodytes
by Zimmermann (1924) and Satô (1963)
(
1
)
, but the subgenera are not well-defined; Vondel (2021) stated the status of the subgenus is questionable but did not propose synonymy
(
2
)
Explanation of Names
Peltodytes
Régimbart 1878
Numbers
17 spp. in our area
(
2
)
, ~30 total
(
3
)
; selected local faunas: 9 spp. in Canada
(
4
)
, 8 in FL
(
5
)
, 2 in CA
(
6
)
, 9 in NH
(
7
)
, 6 in MI
(
8
)
Size
3-4 mm
Identification
adults have two black spots on posterior margin of pronotum (no such spots in
Haliplus
)
(
1
)
Key to spp. in
(
2
)
Range
worldwide except Australia and S. America
(
3
)
; most of NA
(
1
)
Habitat
usually in dense mats of vegetation and algae along the margins of ponds/lakes or slow-running waters, often in association with
Haliplus
(
5
)
Season
adults: year-round; larvae: spring
Food
larvae feed entirely on algae; adults feed on aquatic worms, small crustaceans, hydrozoans, midge eggs, and algae
Life Cycle
overwinters as an adult in permanent standing water
Remarks
adults come to lights
Print References
Jasper S.K. (1996)
Peltodytes
species new to Texas, with habitat notes (Coleoptera, Haliplidae). Entomologica Basiliensia 19: 19-30.
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.
Revision of the Nearctic Haliplidae (Coleoptera)
van Vondel B.J. 2021. Tijdschr. Entomol. 163: 101-298.
3.
Keys to the insects of the Far East of the USSR, Vol. 3. Coleoptera I
Lehr P.A., ed. 1989. Leningrad, Nauka Publishing House, 572 pp.
4.
Prochoerodes lineola
5.
The Water Beetles of Florida
Epler J.H. 2010. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Tallahassee. 414 pp.
6.
California Beetle Project
7.
University of New Hampshire Insect and Arachnid Collections
8.
Bright E. (2002-2011) Aquatic Insects of Michigan
Contributed by
Robin McLeod
on 15 June, 2005 - 11:09pm
Additional contributions by
Mike Quinn
,
Ron M.
,
ceiseman
,
v belov
,
mpintar
Last updated 28 February, 2023 - 3:52pm