Water scavenger beetle
Encyclopedia
Hydrophilidae , also called water scavenger beetles, is a family
of chiefly aquatic
beetle
s. Aquatic hydrophilids are notable for their long maxillary palpi, which are longer than their antennae
. Several of the former subfamilies of Hydrophilidae have recently been removed and elevated to family rank; Epimetopidae, Georissidae (= Georyssinae), Helophoridae, Hydrochidae, and Spercheidae (= Sphaeridiinae). Some of these formerly-included groups are primarily terrestrial or semi-aquatic.
The vernacular name water scavenger beetles is not an accurate description of their habit. With rare exceptions, the larvae are predatory while the adults may be vegetarians or predators in addition to scavenging. Many species are able to produce sounds.
Species of Hydrophilus are reported as pests in fish hatcheries. Other species are voracious consumers of mosquito
larvae, and have potential as biological control agents.
A 1999 catalog by M. Hansen listed 2,803 species in 161 genera, but this included many taxa which are now in other families.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of chiefly aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s. Aquatic hydrophilids are notable for their long maxillary palpi, which are longer than their antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
. Several of the former subfamilies of Hydrophilidae have recently been removed and elevated to family rank; Epimetopidae, Georissidae (= Georyssinae), Helophoridae, Hydrochidae, and Spercheidae (= Sphaeridiinae). Some of these formerly-included groups are primarily terrestrial or semi-aquatic.
Species of Hydrophilus are reported as pests in fish hatcheries. Other species are voracious consumers of mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
larvae, and have potential as biological control agents.
A 1999 catalog by M. Hansen listed 2,803 species in 161 genera, but this included many taxa which are now in other families.