Crawling water beetles

Code QC069999

Convex, yellowish, boat-shaped water beetles, 2-5 mm long, with short, bare 11-segmented antennae. The scutellum is not visible. The elytra carry strong puncture marks arranged in longitudinal rows.

On the underside: The hind coxae are immobile and are developed as two large plates which meet the elytra. These plates completely obscure the first abdominal ventrite so that only 4-5 ventrites and only part of the femura are visible. The metasternum has a transverse suture, forming a cross as in Carabidae, and the prothorax projects backward onto the mesothorax to form a broad, flat median keel.

Haliplidae (suborder Adephaga) are represented in Australia by Haliplus , with 5 species. They occur in aquatic vegetation at edges of ponds, lakes and slow streams. The adults usually crawl but can swim using alternate leg movements.

Reference:

Lawrence, J.F. and Britton, E.B. (1991) Coleoptera. pp. 543-683. In: CSIRO, Insects of Australia. Volume 2. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria.