These beetles were found in flooded areas of Fontenelle Forest nature center. We expect them to be fairly common. They prefer streams and small rivers.

Whirligig beetles are common, predatory aquatic beetles often seen schooling in the shallow water at the edges of lakes and ponds. Occasionally, these beetles can show up unexpectedly in other places, such as in swimming pools. Unlike the similar backswimmers which can also appear in swimming pools, Whirligig Beetles do not bite humans and are not at all aggressive towards them, although these agile swimmers can be difficult to capture. Whirligig Beetles are named for their strange habit of whirling around in circles on the surface of the water when disturbed. Schools of madly whirling Whirligig Beetles can confuse potential predators and make it difficult for them to single out any particular individual beetle. Members of this genus often congregate in large groups especially in late summer and fall. When captured they secrete a milky substance that smells like apples.