The whirligig beetles are a family (Gyrinidae) of water beetles that usually swim on the surface of the water if undisturbed, though they swim underwater when threatened. They get their common name from their habit of swimming rapidly in circles when alarmed, and are also notable for their divided eyes which are believed to enable them to see both above and below water. The family includes some 700 extant species worldwide, in 15 genera, plus a few fossil species. Most species are very similar in general appearance, though they vary in size from perhaps 3 mm to 18 mm in length. They tend to be flattened and rounded in cross section, in plain view as seen from above, and in longitudinal section. In fact their shape is a good first approximation to an ellipsoid, with legs and other appendages fitting closely into a streamlined surface.
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. There are approximately 2000 species of true water beetles native to lands throughout the world.
The Adephaga, with more than 40,000 recorded species in 10 families, are a suborder of highly specialized beetles and the second-largest suborder of the order Coleoptera. Members of this suborder are adephagans, a term which notably include ground beetles, tiger beetles, predacious diving beetles, and whirligig beetles. The majority of the species belongs to the family of carabids, or ground beetles (Carabidae).
Dineutus is a genus of beetles in the family Gyrinidae, the whirligig beetles. They are 9 to 15 millimeters long. Their elytra are smooth, shallowly lined, or grooved.
Dineutus loriae is a species of beetle within the family of whirligig beetles, or Gyrinidae. The species name loriae honors the Italian explorer Lamberto Loria (1855–1913). This beetle can reach a length of about 20 mm.
Gyrinus gehringi is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Dineutus angustus is a species of whirligig beetles in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Gyrininae is a subfamily of ground and water beetles in the family Gyrinidae. There are at least 60 described species in Gyrininae.
Dineutus hornii is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Gyrinus aeratus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America and Europe.
Dineutus carolinus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, Central America, and North America.
Dineutus ciliatus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Dineutus assimilis is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Gyrinus minutus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America and Europe.
Dineutus sublineatus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in Central America and the Southwestern United States.
Dineutus productus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Dineutus emarginatus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Gyrinus cavatus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Dineutus nigrior is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Dineutus discolor, the large whirligig beetle, is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
