324 



Leech and Chandler: Coleoptera 



s 



Fig. 13:18. Noteridae, adults, a, Notomicrus sp.; b, Pronoterus sp.; 

 c, Co/p/us inflaius (Sharp, 1882). 



SCHAEFFER, C. 



1908. On North American and some Cuban C opelatus. 



Jour. Y.Y. Ent. Soc, 16:16-18. 

 WALLIS, J. B. 



1939a. Hydaticus modestus Sharp versus Hydaticus 



stagnalis Fab. in North America. Canad. Ent., 71: 



126-127. 

 19396. The genus Graphoderus Aube in North America 



(north of Mexico). Canad. Ent., 71:128-130. 

 1939c. The genus Ilybius Er. in North America. Canad. 



Ent., 71:192-199. 



1950. A new species of Dytiscus Linn. Canad. Ent., 

 82:50-52. 



WESENBERG-LUND, C. 



1912. Biologische Studien iiber Dytisciden. International 

 Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie, 

 Biol. Suppl., Series V(1912):l-129, 4 text figs., pis. 

 I-IX. 

 WILLIAMS, F. X. 



1936. Biological studies in Hawaiian water-loving 

 insects. Part 8. Coleoptera or beetles. Proc. Hawaii. 

 Ent. Soc. (1935), 9:235-273, inch pis. II-VI. 

 WILSON, C. B. 



1923. Water beetles in relation to pondfish culture, 

 with life histories of those found in fishponds at 

 Fairport, Iowa. Bull. Bur. Fish., 39:231-345, 148 figs. 

 YOUNG, F. N. 



1951. A new water beetle from Florida, with a key to 

 the species of Desmopachria of the United States 

 and Canada. Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc, 46:107-112, 

 incl. pi. VI. 



YOUNG, F. N. 



1954. The water beetles of Florida. Univ. Florida Stud., 

 Biol. Sci. Ser., 5:IX+238 pp., 31 figs. 



Family NOTERIDAE 



Burrowing Water Beetles 



The North American members of this family are small, 

 rarely if ever more than 5.5 mm. long. The adults 

 (fig. 13:20) of most genera are strong and active 

 swimmers. The common name is suggested by the 

 habits of the larvae, which have powerful fossorial 

 legs and can dig their way at an astonishing pace 

 through the wet mud around the roots of aquatic plants. 

 The adults also burrow in underwater debris. The 

 adults are predaceous, but the food of the larvae is 



unknown, though mandibular structure suggests they 

 may eat both plant and animal matter. 



Relationships. — Long recognized as a distinctive 

 group in the family Dytiscidae, accorded subfamily 

 rank by R^gimbart in 1878 on adult morphology and 

 by Meinert in 1901 on larval characters, the genera 

 whose larvae were known were given family status 

 by Bertrand (1927) and Boving and Craighead (1931). 

 On adult characters other genera have been included, 

 though the genus Notomicrus is discordant, and upon 

 discovery of its larvae may have to be removed from 

 the Noteridae. 



The known larvae of Noteridae differ from those 

 of other Hydradephaga in having fossorial legs; ac- 

 cording to Meinert, the larvae of Hygrobiidae, Note- 

 ridae, and Amphizoidae resemble those of Carabidae 

 in having an open mouth, whereas in dytiscid larvae 

 it is reduced to a narrow slit. 



Respiration. — The respiration of adult Noteridae is 

 similar to that of Dytiscidae (q.v.). The larvae of 

 North American species of the family have not been 

 described, but are presumed to resemble those of 

 allied Old World genera in appearance and in their 

 remarkable habits. 



The larvae of Noterus capricornis Herbst (see 

 Balfour-Browne and Balfour-Browne, 1940) live in the 

 mud around the roots of plants such as Iris, Alisma, 

 Sparganium, under one to -two feet of water, and are 

 unable to come to the surface for air. They are ela- 

 teridlike in form (fig. 13:19a) with a chitinous point 

 at the tail end, and are presumed to obtain their air 

 supply by piercing plant roots and taking the inter- 

 cellular air, as do Donacia spp. larvae (Chrysomelidae). 

 The air in the plant must reach the tracheal system 

 via the eighth pair of spiracles, which are side by 

 side at the extreme apex of the segment, immediately 

 beneath the chitinous point. When placed in shallow 

 water, the larvae raise the tip of the abdomen through 

 the surface film, and take air in the regular manner. 



The mature larvae make their cocoons of bits of 

 vegetable material mixed with mud particles (see fig. 4 

 in Balfour-Browne). They are attached to the roots of 

 plants growing in the water; the point of attachment 



