Gyrinidae (original) (raw)
Whirlygig beetles
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Tree from Beutel (1990)
Characteristics
Gyrinids are highly modified for life at the air-water interface. Their compound eyes are divided in two:
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Right side of Gyrinus sp.
When the beetles are swimming on the surface of the water, the dorsal portion of the eye is in air, and the ventral portion in water.
Other Names for Gyrinidae
- Whirlygig beetles
References
Beutel, R. G. 1989a. The head of Spanglerogyrus albiventris Folkerts (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae). Contribution towards clarification of the phylogeny of Gyrinidae and Adephaga. Zool. Jb. Anat. 118(4): 431-461.
Beutel, R. G. 1989b. The prothorax of Spanglerogyrus albiventris Folkerts, 1979 (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) Contribution towards clarification of the phylogeny of Gyrinidae. Entomologica Basiliensia 13: 151-173.
Beutel, R. G. 1990. Phylogenetic analysis of the family Gyrinidae (Coleoptera) based on meso- and metathoracic characters. Quaestiones Entomologicae, 26:163-191.
Beutel, R. G., and R. E. Roughley. 1988. On the systematic position of the family Gyrinidae (Coleoptera: Adephaga). Z. zool. Syst. Evolut.-forsch, 26:380-400.
Beutel, R. G., and R. E. Roughley. 1994. Phylogenetic analysis of Gyrinidae based on characters of the larval head (Coleoptera: Adephaga). Entomologica scandinavica 24: 459-468.
Burmeister, E.G. 1990. The female genital structures of Spanglerogyrus albiventris Folkerts, 1979: A contribution to the systematic position of the Gyrinidae. Spixiana 13(3): 253-265.
Folkerts, G. W. 1979. Spanglerogyrus albiventris, a primitive new genus and species of Gyrinidae (Coleoptera) from Alabama. The Coleopterists Bulletin 33(1): 1-8.
Title Illustrations
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
About This Page
Page copyright © 1995 David R. Maddison
Page: Tree of Life Gyrinidae. Whirlygig beetles. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.
Citing this page:
Tree of Life Web Project. 1995. Gyrinidae. Whirlygig beetles. Version 01 January 1995 (temporary). http://tolweb.org/Gyrinidae/8882/1995.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
This page is a Tree of Life Branch Page.
Each ToL branch page provides a synopsis of the characteristics of a group of organisms representing a branch of the Tree of Life. The major distinction between a branch and a leaf of the Tree of Life is that each branch can be further subdivided into descendent branches, that is, subgroups representing distinct genetic lineages.
For a more detailed explanation of the different ToL page types, have a look at the Structure of the Tree of Life page.
close box
Gyrinidae
Page Content
articles & notes
- Gyrinidae Branch Page