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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Staphyliniformia » Hydrophiloidea » Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae) » Hydrophilinae » Hydrophilini » Giant Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilus) » Giant Black Water Beetle (Hydrophilus triangularis)
Photo#343445
Water Scavenger Beetle - Hydrophilus triangularis
Copyright © 2009 Steve

Water Scavenger Beetle - Hydrophilus triangularis
Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois, USA
August 21, 2009
Size: 4cm
Found this creature swimming around in the cat's water dish (or perhaps the cat was water-boarding it.) When I took it inside for photos it would not quit struggling so most photos were taken with it on its back on my light table and then turned over.

When I finished my photos I released it at my pond, but if it's smart it will stay out of the water because some real bad-basses live in there.

Images of this individual: tag all
Water Scavenger Beetle - Hydrophilus triangularis Water Scavenger Beetle - Hydrophilus triangularis Water Scavenger Beetle - Hydrophilus triangularis
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Contributed by Steve on 15 October, 2009 - 4:38pm
Last updated 19 October, 2009 - 6:01pm

Moved
Moved from Hydrophilus.
… Tim Loh, 19 October, 2009 - 6:01pm login or register to post comments

H. triangularis
based on what I can see of the prosternum in the ventral shot.
… Tim Loh, 19 October, 2009 - 6:01pm login or register to post comments

Hydrophilus -- nice series!
a plain dorsal view is usually most helpful as it comes to beetle recognition

Moved from ID Request.
… v belov, 15 October, 2009 - 5:52pm login or register to post comments

 
two choices
actually in this case I believe there's only two choices (for given location). What we need to see is the area on the underside just in front of the forward projecting portion of that spine. Hydrophilus triangularis will have what looks like a "cap" or shaped cover into which the spine fits tightly. Conversely Hydrophilus ovatus will have the cap/cover with the top missing or open.
… Tim Moyer, 15 October, 2009 - 9:25pm login or register to post comments

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