Found this one in the basement. We have beed doing some remodeling and there are lots of open areas at the moment so we get some visitors.
Bug is very shiny and has an extreemly hard shell. Its eyes are under the head and it has very hairy legs with spikes barbs.
It is about 1 1/2 inches long and the front legs are really short.
First picture is bug on its back.
Top of the bug.
It's a Water Beetle in the genus Hydrophilus. Probably either H. ovata or H. triangularis. They're distinguished by an area called the prosternum, that I can't see very well:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/9598
Hopefully someone else can make it out better than I can, but I think it's the H.ovatus
Here is a better picture of underside. Hope the will help determine which one.
Where is the prosternum and how do they differ?
http://bugguide.net/node/view/27171
It's one of the bony plates that make up the thorax. Read where it says 'identification' on that link. I'm still looking
I measured my beetle and it is 38mm long the guide says the ovata is 31-33mm long and the triangularis is 33-41mm long. So from that would you say this one is the triangularis?
I also read on another site that they are voracious mosquito lavae eaters. I think I will take this one over to the neighbors pond and let it go. He is getting tired me I think. LOL
Makes sense to me!
