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Predaceous diving beetle Eretes stictus |
Many beetles are closely associated with water habitat. Marine beetles only are unknown; however, beetles are an inseparable component of the fauna of fresh and brackish waters. Beetles occur in fresh water-bodies of all types (including underground waters), the majority however prefer small, shallow water-bodies with low water flow rate, with abundant vegetation, where water inhabiting adults and larvae (or only larvae) are concentrated. In several beetle families (primarily Dytiscidae, Noteridae, Haliplidae, Gyrinidae, Amphizoidae, Hygrobiidae, Torridincolidae, Hydroscaphidae, Spercheidae) all species on almost all active developmental stages inhabit in water; in other families only a few species inhabit in water or in ground near water, and not infrequently in only one active phase of life cycle (Microsporidae, Hydrochidae, Helophoridae, Hydraenidae, Hydrophilidae, Georissidae, Heteroceridae, Scirtidae, Psephenidae, Ptilodactylidae, Elmidae, Dryopidae, Limnichidae, Lampyridae, Chrysomelidae, Brentidae, Curculionidae). And eventually representatives of some groups, such as Jurodidae, Carabidae, Trachypachidae, Staphylinidae, Decliniidae, etc., are associated with humid banks of water-bodies and can occur in water occasionally.
Approximately 700 species of Coleoptera associated with fresh waters occur in Russia and neighbouring areas. In the Key to Freshwater Invertebrates of Russia" published by the Zoological Institute a large part of the 5th volume, which came out at the end of 2001 deals with beetles. A.G. Kirejtshuk is the author of the majority of its chapters. V.N. Gramma (Kharkov Institute of Culture) participated in compiling chapters on families Haliplidae and Gyrinidae, E.V. Shaverdo (Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk) - on Dytiscidae, A.G. Shatrovsky (Kharkov National University) - on families Hydrophiloidea (Hydrophilidae, Hydrochidae, Helophoridae, Hydraenidae) and A.O. Benkovsky (Institute of Problems of Ecology and Evolution of Animals, RAS, Moscow) - on Chrysomelidae. The authors were consulted by the following specialists: P.N. Petrov (Moscow State University), A. Nilsson, University of Umea), M. Jaech, Naturhistorisches Museum in Wien, H. Fery, Berlin), M. Hansen, Zoologisk Museum, Kobenhavn.
Preliminary versions of some parts of this book were placed on our site. This allowed us to receive reviews of interested specialists and to use their comments in final editing.