| 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 whirlgig 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.
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.
Gyrinus natator, the common whirligig beetle, is a species of beetle native to the Palearctic realm, including much of Europe. Its range extends northwards as far as Norway, Finland, and the Saint Petersburg area of Russia. It is an aquatic beetle and moves rapidly around on the surface or swims underwater in still or slow-moving fresh water.
Hyphalus wisei is a species of intertidal beetle endemic to New Zealand.
Gyrinus gehringi is a species of whirligig beetle 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 740 described extant species in Gyrininae.
Gyrinus maculiventris is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Micromus tasmaniae, known as the Tasmanian brown lacewing, is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae. It is widespread in Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands such as New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
Gyrinus aeratus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America and Europe.
Gyrinus minutus is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America and Europe.
Gyrinus pectoralis is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
Gyrinus woodruffi 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.
Gyrinus wallisi is a species of whirligig beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is found in North America.
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.
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.
Heteroconis ornata is a species of Australian lacewing that was first described by Günther Enderlein in 1905. The species is found in Queensland and New South Wales. The species was first recorded in New Zealand in 1988, and by the late 1980s a small colony was found to be established in West Auckland.
Gyrinus sericeolimbatus, is a species of whirligig beetle found in India, Sri Lanka, New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands.
Gyrinus gibbus is a species of aquatic beetle in the family Gyrinidae. It is native to the Neotropics.
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