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Project Noah Nature School
Berosus sp.
This little beetle was only about 2 to 4 mm long. It had an ovoid body with ridged olive green elytra with dark patches. The thorax and a broad head were a silvery grey. Eyes were large and laterally placed. Antennae looked short. Legs were long and had setae. The underside of body was bare and black
Spotted under bright lights in a suburban car yard. A creek flows under ground near the car park. These occur all over Australia
This was an accidental find. I was trying to photograph a small moth resting on the front windscreen of a car and had taken no less than 15 shots. When I studied the photos later I found this little beetle in every one of them ! I mistook this for a Chafer but it is an aquatic beetle. The beetle lives in still or slow-moving water with adequate flora and detritus.They can fly well and are often attracted to bright lights at night. While adults are scavengers, the larvae are predatory hunting small invertebrates. My thanks to Michael Geiser and Stephen Thorpe for the ID. Family: Hydrophilidae Subfamily: Hydrophilinae
Thank you Michael Geiser and Stephen Thorpe for your help with the ID. Now, I wish I had really taken notice of this little guy. They sound like an interesting group of beetles. Will follow-up on the suggestions. Thanks again.
Spotted on Feb 5, 2014
Submitted on Feb 6, 2014
