Genus Cercyon

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Habitat · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

Water Scavenger Beetle - Cercyon littoralis

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

No Taxon (Series Staphyliniformia)

Superfamily Hydrophiloidea (Water Scavenger and Clown Beetles)

Family Hydrophilidae (Water Scavenger Beetles)

Subfamily Sphaeridiinae

Tribe Megasternini

Genus Cercyon

Explanation of Names

Cercyon Leach 1817

Cercyon: in Greek mythology, the son of Poseidon

Numbers

~40 spp. in our area, many introduced from the Palaearctic(1), >250 spp. worldwide(2)

Identification

keys in(3)

Habitat

Many spp. found in dung, carrion, compost, fungi, and leaf litter

Remarks

readily spread by commerce: 16 spp. have been introduced by man out of their native range (mostly Palaearctic)(2); adults of many spp. come to lights

Print References

(4)

Works Cited

1.	American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

2.	Occurrence of introduced species of the genus Cercyon (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) in the Neotropical Region M. Fikáček. 2009. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. 68: 351-357.

3.	Revision of the subfamily Sphaeridiinae of America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) Smetana A. 1978. Mem. Ent. Soc. Canada 105: 1–292.

4.	A review of the Cercyon Leach (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Sphaeridiinae) of the Greater Antilles Emmanuel Arriaga-Varela, Matthias Seidel, Albert Deler-Hernández, Viktor Senderov, Martin Fikácek. 2017. ZooKeys 681: 39-93.

Contributed by Jim McClarin on 19 September, 2005 - 8:35pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 5 November, 2017 - 1:15pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2019 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version