order
                        
                      
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Adult Beetles”
                                  
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Larval Beetles”
                                  
                                    Diptera
                                       “True Flies”
                                  
                                    Ephemeroptera
                                       “Mayflies”
                                  
                                    Hemiptera
                                       “True Bugs”
                                  
                                    Lepidoptera
                                       “Aquatic Caterpillars, Snout Moths”
                                  
                                    Megaloptera
                                       “Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies”
                                  
                                    Odonata
                                       “Dragonflies and Damselflies”
                                  
                                    Plecoptera
                                       “Stoneflies”
                                  
                                    Trichoptera
                                       “Caddisflies”
                                 family
                        
                     Haliplidae
               
            genus
                     Peltodytes
            
                  “Crawling Water Beetles”
               
      Genus Overview
                  
               
                        This widespread genus includes 18 North American species. Adults and larvae live mostly among rooted plants in lentic habitats, although some occur in fast-flowing streams. Adults are swimmers, climbers, and clingers that pierce and shred living plant tissue and prey on other insects.
                  
               Characteristics
                  
               POLLUTION TOLERANCE
                        Southeast: 8.5 and higher
                                 Midwest: 7 and higher
                                 Mid-Atlantic: 5 and higher
                              0 = least tolerant, 10 = most tolerant
                        FEEDING HABITS
                        
                                 Engulfer / Predator
Piercer / Herbivore
Shredder / Herbivore
                        
                     Piercer / Herbivore
Shredder / Herbivore
MOVEMENT
                        
                                 Climber
Clinger
Swimmer
                        
                     Clinger
Swimmer
DISTRIBUTION
                        
                                 Widespread (east of the Rocky Mtns.)
                        
                     HABITAT
                        
                                 Lentic-littoral
                        
                     Diagnostic Characters
               order
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    Elytra
                                 family
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    Expanded Hind Coxae
                                 genus
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    Abdominal sternum 6 
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Pronotum with paired blotches
                                 
                  + Expanded Character List
                  
                     
               
            
                        Order:
                           Adults with hardened forewings (elytra) covering the hind wings. 
                     
                     
                        Family:
                           Elytra concealing entire abdomen. Hind coxae (first segment of the last leg) expanded into a broad, flat, plates, ventrally covering the first 2 or 3 abdominal segments and most of hind femora. Adult beetles > 3 mm long. 
                     
                     
                        Genus:
                           Pronotum rounded with distinct black blotch on each side of middle near posterior margin. Last segment of both maxillary and labial palps cone-shaped, as long as or longer than next to last segment. Elytra with fine sutural striae in at least apical half. Hind coxal plates large, covering all of abdomen ventrally except last abdominal sternite.
                     
                   
                   
            Dorsal
               Ventral
               


