a water beetle out of water

A water beetle is a beetle adapted to living in water. A number of different types are known, nearly all living in or on fresh water. The few marine species tend to live in the intertidal zone. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Marine is an umbrella term for things relating to the ocean, as with marine biology, marine geology, and as a term for a navy, etc. ... A rock, seen at low tide, exhibiting typical intertidal zonation. ...

Many water beetles carry an air bubble underneath their abdomens, which both provides an air supply, and prevents water from getting into the spiracles. Others have the surface of their exoskeleton modified to form a plastron, or "physical gill", which permits direct gas exchange with the water. Spiracles are small openings on the surface of animals that usually lead to respiratory systems. ... An exoskeleton is an external anatomical feature that supports and protects an animals body, in contrast to the internal endoskeleton of, for example, a human. ... The plastron is the nearly flat part of the shell structure of a tortoise, what we would call the belly, similar in composition to the carapace; with an external layer of horny material divided into plates called scutes and an underlying layer of interlocking bones. ...

Most families of water beetles have larvae that are also aquatic, but the reverse is not so; many have aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults.

Types that are aquatic in all life stages include whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae), Haliplidae, Noteridae, Amphizoidae, Dytiscidae and Hydroscaphidae Genera Spanglerogyrus Dineutus Gyrinus Gyretes (eight others) The whirligig beetles are a family (Gyrinidae) of water beetles that normally live on the surface of the water. ... Genera Algophilus Apteraliplus Brychius Haliplus Peltodytes The crawling water beetles are a family (Haliplidae) of water beetles who swim poorly using an alternate motion of the legs, and therefore prefer to get around by crawling. ... Genera Phreatodytinae Phreatodytes Noterinae Notomicrus Neohydrocoptus Suphis Noterus Renotus Pronoterus Mesonoterus Siolius Synchortus Hydrocanthus Canthydrus Suphisellus The burrowing water beetles are a family (Noteridae C. G. Thomson 1857) of water beetles closely related to the Dytiscidae, and formerly classified with them. ... Species Amphizoa insolens Amphizoa lecontei Amphizoa striata three others The trout-stream beetles are a small family (Amphizoidae) of water beetles, consisting of a single genus Amphizoa with six species, three from western North America and three from China. ... Genera at least 160, see text Wikispecies has information related to: Dytiscidae Dytiscidae (known by various common names around the world, including predaceous diving beetles, water beetles and diving beetles) is a family of water beetles. ... Genera Hydroscapha Scaphydra Yara The skiff beetles are a small family (Hydroscaphidae) of water beetles, consisting of 13 species in three genera. ...

Types in which the adults are not necessarily aquatic include Hydrophilidae, Lutrochidae, Dryopidae, Elmidae, Eulichadidae, Heteroceridae, Limnichidae, Psephenidae, Ptilodactylidae and Sphaeriusidae. Genera about 160, see text The water scavenger beetles are a family (Hydrophilidae) of beetles that are mostly aquatic, but includes a terrestrial subfamily. ... Species Lutrochus arizonica Lutrochus laticeps Lutrochus luteus Lutrochidae is a family of water beetles sometimes known as travertine beetles, since in North America they are common in springs and streams depositing travertine. ... The Heteroceridae, or variegated mud-loving beetles, are a widespread and relatively common family of beetles. ... Species (19 species) The minute bog beetle is a small and obscure family (Sphaeriusidae) of beetle typically found along the edges of streams and rivers, where it feeds on algae. ...

See also

• Aquatic insects