| Gyrinus convexiusculus | |
|---|---|
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| Gyrinus convexiusculus illustration by Des Helmore. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Gyrinidae |
| Genus: | Gyrinus |
| Species: | G. convexiusculus |
| Binomial name | |
| Gyrinus convexiusculus Macleay, 1871 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Gyrinus convexiusculus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae, first described by Macleay in 1871. [2]
The species is 3.5–4.8 mm long, and is the smallest Australian whirligig beetle. [3] It has a black body. [3] Gyrinus convexiusculus found in New Zealand are consistently larger than Australian specimens (averaging 4.4mm for males and 4.6mm for females). [2]
Gyrinus convexiusculus is found across the eastern coast of Australia, ranging from Darwin to Victoria but most commonly found around Brisbane. [3] The species has been recorded in South Asia, [4] China, Indonesia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. [3] Initially being recorded in New Zealand in the 1870s, no record of the species was found for 100 years, until their rediscovery in the Waikato in 1977, and later in Northland (Mangonui in 1983 and Marsden Point in 1989). [1] It is the sole whirligig beetle species found in New Zealand, and it is unknown if the populations found in New Zealand represent an enduring population, or populations that recently self-introduced from Australia. [2]
The species is found in shallow fresh water bodies, [3] small peat lakes and man-made dams. [5]
The whirligig beetles are water beetles, comprising the family Gyrinidae 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. Whirligig beetles belong to the beetle suborder Adephaga, which also includes ground beetles and diving beetles.
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Gyrinus gehringi is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
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Costelytra zealandica is a species of scarab beetle found in forested areas of greater Wellington. It was originally described in 1846 by the British entomologist Adam White as Rhisotrogus zealandicus from a specimen obtained during the Ross expedition. The species is known to feed on roots of plants and trees, so is considered a pest for many farm pastures.
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Drepanacra binocula, known as the Australian variable lacewing, is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae, found across Australia and New Zealand, including Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and the Kermadec Islands.
Protobiella zelandica is a species of New Zealand beaded lacewing in the family Berothidae that was first described by Robert John Tillyard in 1923. It is the sole known species in the genus Protobiella, and the only berothid endemic to New Zealand. No subspecies are noted in the Catalogue of Life.
Euosmylus stellae is an endemic species of New Zealand lacewing that was first described by Robert McLachlan in 1899. It is the only species in the genus Euosmylus. The species ranges from the North Island Volcanic Plateau to the middle of the South Island, including Arthur's Pass and the Ashley Gorge. It was named in honour of George Hudson's daughter Stella.
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Microvelia macgregori is a species of true bug in the family Veliidae. It is semi-aquatic, living on the surface of water in freshwater habitats in New Zealand.
Mimopeus is a genus of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae, first described by Francis Polkinghorne Pascoe in 1866. It is endemic to New Zealand.
Mimopeus elongatus is a species of darkling beetle in the subfamily Tenebrioninae, first described by Ferdinando Arborio Gattinara di Breme in 1842, who considered it a type of Cilibe.
Mimopeus neglectus is a species of darkling beetle in the subfamily Tenebrioninae, first described by J. C. Watt in 1988. It occurs around the Cook Strait area of New Zealand, on both the North and South Islands.
Gyrinus sericeolimbatus, is a species of whirligig beetle found in India, Sri Lanka, New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands.
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