Berosus sayi

M.Hansen, 1999

Berosus sayi is a of water scavenger beetle in the Hydrophilidae, native to North America. First described by Thomas Say in 1825 as Berosus striatus, it was later renamed Berosus sayi by Hansen in 1999. The species is characterized by a distinctive morphological trait in females: a small tooth on the near the apex of each .

Berosus sayi by (c) Matthew Pintar, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matthew Pintar. Used under a CC-BY license.

Berosus sayi by no rights reserved, uploaded by Mike Palmer. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Berosus sayi: //ˈbɛr.o.səs ˈseɪ.aɪ//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Females can be distinguished from similar Berosus by the presence of a small tooth on the near the apex of each . This trait is not present in all and serves as a key diagnostic feature.

Images

Habitat

Aquatic environments; typical of hydrophilid beetles, which inhabit freshwater .

Distribution

Native to the United States and Canada. Recorded from Canadian provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan; and U.S. states including Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Ecological Role

Member of aquatic ; hydrophilid beetles generally function as scavengers and in freshwater , though specific ecological role for this is not documented.

Similar Taxa

Berosus striatusJunior synonym; originally described by Thomas Say in 1825, now treated as with B. sayi
Other Berosus speciesFemales of B. sayi can be separated by the small tooth on the elytral near the apex, a trait not universally present in