Lutrochidae is a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of
water beetle
A water beetle is a generalized name for any beetle that is adapted to living in water at any point in its life cycle. Most water beetles can only live in fresh water, with a few Marine (ocean), marine species that live in the intertidal zone or l ...
s with a single genus ''Lutrochus'' sometimes known as "travertine beetles". There are around 21 species native to the Americas from the southern United States to Brazil.
They are distinguished by their ovate bodies, 2–6 mm long and yellowish in color, and short
antennae in which the first two
antennomeres are longer than the others. The larvae are elongate, 4–10 mm in length, with short but well-developed legs.
[ William D. Shepard, "Lutrochidae", in ]Ross H. Arnett, Jr.
Ross Harold Arnett Jr. (April 13, 1919 – July 16, 1999) was an American entomologist noted for his studies of beetles, and as founder of the ''Coleopterist's Bulletin''.
Born in Medina, New York, he was a star student at Cornell University, wher ...
and Michael C. Thomas
Michael Charles Thomas (May 5, 1948 – October 14, 2019) was an American entomologist who co-authored the book series ''American Beetles''.
Born in Miami, Florida, Thomas graduated from the University of South Florida in 1970 with a Bachelor o ...
, ''American Beetles
''American Beetles'' is the single most comprehensive description of the beetles of North America north of the tropical area of Mexico. It was started by Ross H. Arnett, Jr. as an update of his classic ''The Beetles of the United States''; along ...
'' (CRC Press, 2002), vol. 2
The adults have a bubble of air held in place by hairs.
[Ide, Sergio, Costa, Cleide and Vanin, Sergio Antonio. "Lutrochidae Kasap & Crowson, 1975: Coleoptera, Beetles". ''Handbook of Zoology Online'', edited by Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2016.]
The adults and larvae are associated with submerged old and rotting wood found in shallow, fast flowing streams.
References
External links
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Byrrhoidea
Beetle genera
{{Byrrhoidea-stub