Checklist of - Entomological Society of Canada

Dryopidae
FamilyLIMNICHIDAE minute marsh-lovingbeetles
L. LeSage
Of the three subfamilies and 15 genera of
Limnichidae described in the Western Hemisphere,
only two genera and four species occur in Canada.
Adults of limnichids are usually active during the
day near water in leaf litter; they are readily
attracted to light. The larvae are rarely collected
and are not represented in most collections. Paulus
(1970) frrst described the immature stages of two
European species: they are terrestrial, Iive in moist
soil, and tunnel under layers of mosses and algae,
which thev use as food.
This group of beetles was first considered as a
tribe of Byrrhidae, but Hinton (1939o, 1939b) elevated
it to family rank and placed it in the superfamily
Dryopoidea, after a study of the internal
anatomy. The North American limnichid fauna is
now well known after a series of recent revisions by
Wooldridge, who also published a catalog of the
North American species in 1986.
eC (1);MB (1);oN (4);PQ (2)
Subfamily LIMNICHINAE
Tribe Limnichini
Key to North American genera: Wooldridge (1975)
Genus LIMNICHITES Casey
Key to North American species:
Wooldridge (1977)
L. huronicus Casey
L. olivaceus (LeConte)
uirginicus Casey
L. punctatus (LeConte)
austinianus Casey
____
BC
MB
ON
ON
oN PQ
Genus LUTROCHUS Erichson
Key to North American species:
Brown (1972)
L. laticeps Casey
ON PQ
Family DRYOPIDAE long-toed water beetles
L. LeSage
Dryopidae includes over 200 species around the
world, but only six occur in Canada. Adults are
essentially phytophagous, feeding on diatoms,
algae, and decaying wood. The truly aquatic adults
of Helichus inhabit riflles of water courses, using a
hydrofuge plastron for breathing, as do elmids.
Adults of Dryops are typically riparian. They can
take flight directly from water surface when disturbed.
Dryopid larvae are rarely collected; the few
specimens collected were found in moist soil on
banks of creeks where the adults live.
The family has not been revised since Brown
(1972) put together all the taxonomic information.
The Canadian fauna is reasonably well known for
Quebec and Ontario (LeSage and Harper 1975).
Brown (1983o) recently published a catalog of the
North American species.
sC (2); AB (1); SK (1); MB (1); ON (2); PQ (5); NB
(2);NS (2);PE (1);NF (1) ' I (1)
Genus DRYOPS Olivier
(Subgmus YRDOPS Steffan)
D. viennensis (Heer)t
PQ
Genus HELICHUS Erichson
Key to North American species: Musgrave (1935); Brown (1972)
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