I think this was what was in my lawn this morning - Omaha, NE. No water around here though.
Found One! by: Stacie
Found one of these monsters while mowing - live in Omaha, Nebraska. This is the second time we've seen one of these this Spring, and we're not even near a body of water. Have never seen these away from water before now.
Wow, big bug!
Giant black water scavenger beetle by: Moni
Central Illinois
Yes they are found over most of North America.
Central Illinois by: Anonymous
Just found one in Bloomington, IL. Are they native to the Midwest?
Thanks Moni by: Jo
We have a drainage ditch across the road from our house and a canal several yards behind our house. The canal is used for irrigating and is currently dry. I'm guessing it must have come from the drainage ditch since the other was fresh running water. We had never seen one of these before. I had looked at several sights online and found some that looked kind of like it, but not really like it. Thanks so much for identifying it for us. We did put it in water and it swims just like you said it would.
Giant black water scavenger beetle by: Moni
Jo
Based on the size and keel on the underside, your beetle is the giant black water scavenger beetle. Thanks for all the great photo angles!
Do you have a pond on the farm? These beetles live in weedy ponds or lakes. Since they come to lights at night...it might have flown in to a night light you have near the building?
Water scavengers have keeled sternum - that long narrow pointer that you can see on the underside. They come up for air head first while predaceous diving beetles do not have the keel on the sternum and come up tail first. Also if you could see them swimming the water scavenger swims alternating the hind legs while predaceous diving beetles hind legs go in unison like oars.
These beetles feed on dead decaying aquatic animals - hence scavenger in the name. :-)They help keep the ponds clean!
The larvae are predatory feeding on other insects and small aquatic animals.
