order
                        
                      
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Adult Beetles”
                                  
                                    Coleoptera
                                       “Larval Beetles”
                                  
                                    Diptera
                                       “True Flies”
                                  
                                    Ephemeroptera
                                       “Mayflies”
                                  
                                    Hemiptera
                                       “True Bugs”
                                  
                                    Lepidoptera
                                       “Aquatic Caterpillars, Snout Moths”
                                  
                                    Megaloptera
                                       “Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies”
                                  
                                    Odonata
                                       “Dragonflies and Damselflies”
                                  
                                    Plecoptera
                                       “Stoneflies”
                                  
                                    Trichoptera
                                       “Caddisflies”
                                 family
                        
                     Haliplidae
               
            genus
                     Peltodytes 
            
                  “Crawling Water Beetle Larvae”
               
      Genus Overview
                  
               
                        At least 18 species of this widespread genus occur in different regions of North America. Larvae and adults are piercing and shredding herbivores and predators, living mostly in lentic habitats, clinging and climbing on rooted plants, occasionally in fast-flowing water.
                  
               Characteristics
                  
               POLLUTION TOLERANCE
                        Southeast: 8.5 and higher
                                 Midwest: 7 and higher
                                 Mid-Atlantic: 5 and higher
                              0 = least tolerant, 10 = most tolerant
                        FEEDING HABITS
                        
                                 Engulfer / Predator
Piercer / Herbivore
Shredder / Herbivore
                        
                     Piercer / Herbivore
Shredder / Herbivore
MOVEMENT
                        
                                 Climber
Clinger
                        
                     Clinger
DISTRIBUTION
                        
                                 Widespread (east of the Rocky Mtns.)
                        
                     HABITAT
                        
                                 Lentic-littoral
Lotic-erosional
                        
                     Lotic-erosional
Diagnostic Characters
               Order
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    Eye Spots
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Lateral Gills USUALLY Absent
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    USUALLY 4-5-Segmented Legs
                                 Family
                         
                                       
                                       
                                    5-Segmented Legs + Claw
                                  
                                       
                                       
                                    Dorsal Projections
                                 
                  + Expanded Character List
                  
                     
               
            
                        Order:
                           Larvae: Usually without lateral abdominal gills. If gills present, then 4 hooks clustered on segment 10. Thoracic legs each usually with 4 or 5 segments and with 1 or 2 claws; if without legs, head distinctly sclerotized and posterior body (thorax and abdomen) simple, without gills, hair brushes, suckers, or breathing tube. Eye spots usually present, but compound eyes absent.
                     
                     
                        Family:
                           Mandibles with groove along the internal margin. Legs 5-segmented and with single claw. Mature larvae usually with long, slender, stiff, needle-like dorsal projections from thoracic and abdominal segments. Abdomen 9–10 segmented; hooks absent from terminal segments.
                     
                     
                        Genus:
                           Body segments each with 2 or more erect, segmented, hollow, spine-tipped filaments half as long as body. Forelegs designed for grasping plants and prey.
                     
                   
            Lateral
               


