Lackawanna River Corridor Association

Lackawanna River Beetle Larvae
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Hydrophilidae
Key features:
three pairs of legs
some with side appendages
some with a thick, twig-like looking body
size range: 1/2-11/4"


  Unlike beetle larvae of the Elmidae family, organisms of the Hydrophilidae family are rarely found in the River because they have a short larval cycle (one to several months) . They are the larval form of adult water scavenger beetles and like the adults, the larvae feed on other insects. They are generally found in areas where sediment has been deposited along the banks.
Family: Hydrophilidae
Genus: Berosus
Family: Hydrophilidae
Genus: Derallus