Photograph courtesy of Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

The Whiligig Beetles (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) of South Africa

Compiled by P. Brinck

© Copyright of this page belongs to the author.

INTRODUCTION

This checklist was published in 1955 by Per Brinck, and probably needs updating. Volunteers should contact Martin Villet .

Photograph courtesy of Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

Family: GYRINIDAE

Subfamily: GYRININAE Regimbart, 1882

Genus: Aulonogyrus Regimbart, 1883
1. A. caffer caffer (Aube, 1838)
  
  Gyrinus caffer caffer Aube, 1838: 712
  = Gyrinus flavipes Wallengren, 1881: 15
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Northern Province, Northwest Province
2. A. caffer sellindanus Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus caffer sellindanus Brink, 1955: 341
  Zimbabwe
3. A. sharpi Regimbart, 1883
  
  Aulonogyrus sharpi Regimbart, 1883: 136
  Eastern Cape, Northern Province
4. A. flavipes (Boheman, 1848)
  
  Gyrinus flavipes Boheman, 1848: 258
  = Aulonogyrus virescens Regimbart, 1883: 138
  = Aulonogyrus virescens subtilis Zimmermann, 1917: 143
  Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Province, Northwest Province, to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, northwards
5. A. algoensis Regimbart, 1883
  
  Aulonogyrus algoensis Regimbart, 1883: 140
  = Aulonogyrus zanzibaricus Regimbart, 1883: 139
  Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Northern Province, to Mozambique, Zimabwe, Namibia, northwards
6. A. amoenulus (Boheman, 1848)
  
  Gyrinus amoenulus Boheman, 1848: 260
  = Aulonogyrus convexiusulcus Regimbart, 1883: 129
  KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Northern Province, to Mozambique, northwards
7. A. capensis (Thunberg, 1781)
  
  Gyrinus capensis Thunberg, 1781: 27
  = Gyrinus formosus Modeer, 1776: 157 (male)
  = Gyrinus splendidulus Boheman, 1848: 259
  = Aulonogyrus subparalellus Regimbart, 1883: 128
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape: ENDEMIC
8. A. depressus Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus depressus Brink, 1955: 357
  = Aulonogyrus splendidulus Regimbart, 1883: 127 (nec Aube)
  ?Eastern Cape: ENDEMIC
9. A. splendidulus (Aube, 1838)
  
  Gyrinus splendidulus Aube, 1838: 721
  = Aulonogyrus evanescens Regimbart, 1907: 164
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape: ENDEMIC
10. A. varians varians Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus varians varians Brink, 1955: 361
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape: ENDEMIC
11. A. varians hottentotus Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus varians hottentotus Brink, 1955: 365
  Western Cape: ENDEMIC
12. A. naviculus Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus naviculus Brink, 1955: 366
  Western Cape: ENDEMIC
13. A. formosus (Modeer, 1776)
  
  Gyrinus formosus Modeer, 1776: 157
  = Gyrinus capensis Aube, 1838: 715 (nec Thunberg)
  = Aulonogyrus insularis Brinck, 1943: 127
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northwest Province: ENDEMIC
14. A. abdominalis (Aube, 1838)
  
  Gyrinus abdominalis Aube, 1838: 722
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Province, Northwest Province, to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia
15. A. rhodesianus Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus rhodesianus Brink, 1955: 376
  Zimbabwe
16. A. alternatus Regimbart, 1892
  
  Aulonogyrus alternatus Regimbart, 1892: 672
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Province, Northwest Province, Northern Cape, to Zimbabwe, Botswana
17. A. marginatus (Aube, 1838)
  
  Gyrinus marginatus Aube, 1838: 714
  = Gyrinus capensis Wallengren, 1881: 15 (nec Thunberg)
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Province, Northwest Province, Northern Cape, to Botswana
18. A. sesotho Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus sesotho Brink, 1955: 386
  Eastern Cape, Lesotho: ENDEMIC
19. A. aureus Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus aureus Brink, 1955: 389
  Western Cape: ENDEMIC
20. A. bachmanni Ochs, 1937
  
  Aulonogyrus bachmanni Ochs, 1937: 278
  Eastern Cape: ENDEMIC
21. A. latens Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus latens Brink, 1955: 392
  Mpumalanga: ENDEMIC
22. A. knysnanus Brink, 1955
  
  Aulonogyrus knysnanus Brink, 1955: 394
  Western Cape: ENDEMIC
Genus: Gyrinus Linnaeus, 1767
1. G. vicinus Aube, 1838
  
  Gyrinus vicinus Aube, 1838: 684
  = Gyrinus chalcopleurus Regimbart, 1883: 145
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape: ENDEMIC
2. G. natalensis natalensis Regimbart, 1892
  
  Gyrinus natalensis Regimbart, 1892: 674
  KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Northwest Province, to Mozambique, Botswana
3. G. natalensis rhodesianus Ochs, 1925
  
  Gyrinus rhodesianus Ochs, 1925: 172
  Zimbabwe, northwards
Subfamily: ENHYDRINAE
Genus: Dineutus McLeay, 1825
1. D. subspinosus (Klug, 1834)
  
  Gyrinus subspinosus Klug, 1834: 34
  = Dineutus armatus Wollaston, 1867: 38
  Mpumalanga, Northern Province, to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, northwards
2. D. fauveli Regimbart, 1884
  
  Dineutes fauveli Regimbart, 1884: 470
  Namibia, northwards
3. D. aereus (Klug, 1834)
  
  Gyrinus aereus Klug, 1834: 34
  Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Province, Northwest Province, Northern Cape, to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, northwards
4. D. punctatus Aube, 1838
  
  Dineutes punctatus Aube, 1838: 774
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northwest Province, to Zimbabwe
5. D. micans rhodesianus Brink, 1955
  
  Dineutus micans rhodesianus Brink, 1955: 419
  Zimbabwe
6. D. grossus grossus (Modeer, 1776)
  
  Gyrinus grossus grossus Modeer, 1776: 156
  = Gyrinus gigas Forsberg, 1821: 305
  = Dineutes africanus Aube, 1838: 771
  = Dineutes caffer Boheman, 1848: 262
  = Dineutes angolensis Mouchamps, 1949: 2
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Province, Northwest Province, to Zimbabwe
7. D. grossus angolensis Regimbart, 1883
  
  Dineutus angolensis Regimbart, 1883: 407
  = Dineutes grossus Aubei Ochs, 1926: 137
  = Dineutus grossus abyssinicus Mouchamps, 1949: 1
  Mozambique, northwards
Subfamily: ORECTOCHILINAE
Genus: Orectogyrus Regimbart, 1883
1. O. capicolus Brink, 1955
  
  Orectogyrus capicolus Brink, 1955: 432
  Western Cape: ENDEMIC
2. O. mirabilis mirabilis Regimbart, 1883
  
  Orectogyrus mirabilis mirabilis Regimbart, 1883: plate 11
  Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Northern Province, to Mozambique
3. O. mirabilis arnoldi Ochs, 1952
  
  Orectogyrus arnoldi Ochs, 1952: 136
  Mozambique, Zimbabwe
4. O. lanceolatus Regimbart, 1884
  
  Orectogyrus lanceolatus Regimbart, 1884: 440
  Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal: ENDEMIC
5. O. dorsiger Regimbart, 1884
  
  Orectogyrus dorsiger Regimbart, 1884: 443
  Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal: ENDEMIC
6. O. alluaudi Regimbart, 1889
  
  Orectogyrus alluaudi Regimbart, 1889: 250
  Zimbabwe, northwards
7. O. polli polli Regimbart, 1884
  
  Orectogyrus polli Regimbart, 1884: 165
  = Orectogyrus gymnonotus Regimbart, 1891: 721
  KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Province, Northwest Province, Northern Cape: ENDEMIC
8. O. polli rhodesianus Brink, 1955
  
  Orectogyrus polli rhodesianus Brink, 1955: 450
  Zimbabwe, northwards
9. O. vermiculatus Ochs, 1952
  
  Orectogyrus vermiculatus Ochs, 1952: 137
  Zimbabwe
10. O. bicostatus Boheman, 1848
  
  Orectogyrus bicostatus Boheman, 1848: 261
  = Orectogyrus suturalis Regimbart, 1881: 68
  = Orectogyrus schistaceus tibialis Regimbart, 1907: 241
  KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Northern Province, Northwest Province, to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, northwards
11. O. rhodesianus rhodesianus Ochs, 1933
  
  Orectogyrus rhodesianus Ochs, 1933: 50
  Zimbabwe
12. O. rhodesianus virescens Ochs, 1933
  
  Orectogyrus virescens Ochs, 1933: 51
  Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
13. O. conformis Regimbart, 1884
  
  Orectogyrus conformis Regimbart, 1884: 456
  Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Province, Northwest Province, to Mozambique, Botswana
14. O. elongatus Regimbart, 1886
  
  Orectogyrus cuprifer elongatus Regimbart, 1886: 144
  Namibia, northwards
15. O. cuprifer Regimbart, 1884
  
  Orectogyrus cuprifer Regimbart, 1884: 462
  Mpumalanga, to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, northwards
16. O. posticalis zambezianus Brink, 1955
  
  Orectogyrus posticalis zambezianus Brink, 1955: 467
  Zimbabwe, northwards
17. O. oscari (Apetz, 1854)
  
  Orectocheilus Oscari Apetz, 1854: 13
  = Orectochilus angustior Kolbe, 1883: 18
  = Orectogyrus Gestroi Ochs, 1926: 169
  KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, to Zimbabwe, northwards
18. O. sericeus (Klug, 1834)
  
  Gyrinus sericeus Klug, 1834: 34
  = Orectogyrus constrictus Ochs, 1924: 239
  Mozambique, northwards

REFERENCES

Brinck, P. 1955.: Gyrinidae. A monograph of the whirligig beetles of Southern Africa. In: Hanström, B., Brinck, P. & Rudebeck, G. (eds.) South African Animal Life 1: 329-518.

This part of A Catalogue of South African Insects revised: