Haliplidae


Haliplidae

[hə′lip·lə‚dē] (invertebrate zoology) The crawling water beetles, a family of coleopteran insects in the suborder Adephaga.

Haliplidae

 

a family of water beetles. The beetles are oval and pointed at the posterior end; they measure 2–5 mm long. The hind legs are fitted for swimming, and their basal segments, or coxae, are greatly expanded. The larvae are slender and have numerous spiracles. Of the approximately 140 widely distributed species, more than 30 are found in the USSR. The beetles and larvae feed on algae and, less frequently, on small invertebrates.