Whirligig Beetle
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© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Macrogyrus
- Species
- striolatus
- Family
- Gyrinidae
- Super Family
- Caraboidea
- Suborder
- Adephaga
- Order
- Coleoptera
- Class
- Insecta
- Subphylum
- Uniramia
- Phylum
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 1.4 cm - 1.8 cm
The whirligig beetles, including Macrogyrus striolatus, are named after their habit of swimming in circles on water surfaces
Habitat
The Whirligig Beetle lives in freshwater.
Distribution
The Whirligig Beetle is found in eastern Australia.There are around 1,100 different species in the whirligig beetle group but relatively few of these (20) are found in Australia. About five species occur in the Sydney region.
Feeding and diet
Whirligig beetles feed by capturing and eating dead or injured insects on the water surface with their elongated front legs. The larvae are predators that crawl rather than swim. Like most predacious diving beetles, the adults find water by flying.
Other behaviours and adaptations
Whirligig beetles are among the most specialised beetles for living in and on water because all their legs are modified into flat paddles and their eyes are split to give both underwater and above-water vision. If a predator such as a bird approaches from above, the beetle dives below the water. If a predator such as a fish approaches from below, the beetle seeks shelter at the water's edge.
