HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

See Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in Wisconsin, July 10-12

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowse

Info

ImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Elateriformia » Byrrhoidea » Riffle Beetles (Elmidae)

Family Elmidae - Riffle Beetles

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Print References · Works Cited

elmid species 3 - Dubiraphia quadrinotata

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Elateriformia)

Superfamily Byrrhoidea

Family Elmidae (Riffle Beetles)

Explanation of Names

Elmidae Curtis 1830

Numbers

ca. 100 spp. in 26 genera in our area; NA fauna is relatively well-known(1)(2); ~1500 spp. in ~150 genera worldwide(3)

Overview of our faunaTaxa not yet in the guide are marked (*)

Family ELMIDAE

Subfamily Elminae

Tribe Ancyronychini Ancyronyx

Tribe Elmini Ampumixis · Atractelmis · Bryelmis · Cleptelmis · Cylloepus · Dubiraphia · Gonielmis · Heterelmis · Heterlimnius · Hexacylloepus · Huleechius · Macrelmis · Microcylloepus · Narpus · Neocylloepus · Neoelmis · Optioservus · Ordobrevia · Oulimnius · Promoresia · Rhizelmis · Stenelmis · *Xenelmis

Tribe Macronychini Macronychus · Zaitzevia

Subfamily Larainae

Tribe Laraini Lara · Phanocerus

Identification

keys to genera based on adult and larval characters in(4)

Range

worldwide and throughout NA(1)(5)

Habitat

larvae and most adults aquatic; usually live in rapid cool streams(1); "the most truly aquatic of our water beetles"(6)

Season

adults and larvae can be found year-round(1)

Food

decayed plant material, algae(6)

Print References

Burke H.R. (1963) Notes on Texas riffle beetles (Coleoptera: Elmidae). Southwestern Nat. 8(2): 111-114. (7)

Works Cited

1.	American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

2.	Aquatic dryopoid beetles (Coleoptera) of the United States Brown H.P. 1972. USEPA Water Poll. Control Res. Ser., Vol. 6. ix+82 pp.

3.	Order Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification... Ślipiński S.A., Leschen R.A.B., Lawrence J.F. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 203–208.

4.	Aquatic Insects of North America R. W. Merritt, K. W. Cummins, M.B. Berg. 2008. Kendall/Hunt.

5.	A catalog of Coleoptera of America North of Mexico. Elmidae Brown H.P. 1983. USDA Agriculture handbook no. 529-143b. x + 23 pp.

6.	The Water Beetles of Florida Epler J.H. 2010. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Tallahassee. 414 pp.

7.	Notes on Texas riffle beetles (Coleoptera, Elmidae) Horace R. Burke. 1963. The Southwestern Naturalist, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 111-114 .

Contributed by Phillip Harpootlian on 25 July, 2005 - 10:48am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Mike Quinn, Tim Moyer, v belov, Edward Ruden
Last updated 20 December, 2022 - 8:40pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2023 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version