Lutrochidae is a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
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 species that live in the intertidal zone or littoral zone. Th ...
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, '' American Beetles'' (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