Whirligig Beetles
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What are they?
Whirligig Beetles are hard to miss during the summer months, as they whizz around in crazy arcs and circles on the surface of bodies of water. Sometimes one or two may be seen but at times, gatherings of 20 or more occur, all managing to dash about on the surface without colliding with each other. These are predatory insects that feed on other invertebrates that fall onto the water surface. They have divided eyes that allow them to see above and below the water and are capable of diving if necessary, taking a trapped bubble of air down with them. Larvae live below the water surface and are active hunters of other invertebrates.
Identification
This is a difficult group to identify, requiring capture of the specimen and close examination of the wing cases, particularly the tips, and details of the leg structure. With the legs largely hidden underneath the insect, identification in the field is often impossible.
Whirligig Beetles Gyrinidae
Small black beetles that rush around in an often comical way on the surface of ponds and slow-moving streams.
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