The Haliplidae are a small, evolutionarily ancient family of aquatic beetles belonging to the suborder Adephaga. They are found almost worldwide wherever there are freshwater habitats with abundant aquatic vegetation. These tiny beetles, measuring just a few millimetres in length, are characterised by a specific hydrodynamic body shape, a yellowish to rust-coloured body with dark markings, and uniquely enlarged hip plates on their hind legs. These plates serve as an air reservoir, enabling them to breathe underwater. Unlike the excellent swimmers of the family Dytiscidae, members of the Haliplidae are relatively clumsy swimmers. They move by alternately paddling their legs and prefer to crawl slowly along aquatic vegetation. They inhabit a wide range of still and slow-flowing waters, where adults feed on a mixture of small invertebrates and algae, whilst their larvae feed exclusively on algae. Owing to their dependence on the quality of the aquatic environment and vegetation, they serve as important bioindicators of the purity and stability of wetland ecosystems.

Number of Species:

Family Card

Brychius elevatus

 

Haliplus confinis

 

Haliplus obliquus

 

Haliplus varius

 

Haliplus fluviatilis

 

Haliplus fulvicollis

 

Haliplus furcatus

 

Haliplus heydeni

 

Haliplus immaculatus

 

Haliplus ruficollis

 

Haliplus sibiricus

 

Haliplus flavicollis

 

Haliplus fulvus

 

Haliplus laminatus

 

Haliplus maculatus

 

Haliplus variegatus

 

Haliplus lineatocollis

 

Peltodytes caesus