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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Staphyliniformia » Hydrophiloidea » Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae)

Family Hydrophilidae - Water Scavenger Beetles

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited
Hydrophilidae from rotting Saguaro Cactus - Dactylosternum cacti Tiny Hydrophilidae - Enochrus pygmaeus Water scavenger beetle - Cercyon praetextatus Round Beetle - Cryptopleurum Small water scavenger - Berosus exiguus Hydrophilid - Enochrus Dytiscidae sp. - Tropisternus lateralis Cymbiodyta acuminata (Fall) - Cymbiodyta acuminata - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Staphyliniformia)
Superfamily Hydrophiloidea
Family Hydrophilidae (Water Scavenger Beetles)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Helophoridae, Hydrochidae, Spercheidae, Epimetopidae and Georissidae were formerly subfamilies of Hydrophilidae(1)
Explanation of Names
Hydrophilidae Latreille 1802
Numbers
~260 spp. in 35 genera in our area(2), ~3400 spp. in ~200 genera worldwide(3) (numbers include Hydrophiloidea families formerly included in Hydrophilidae)
Overview of our faunaadapted from (1); taxa not yet in the guide are marked (*)
Family Hydrophilidae
Subfamily Acidocerinae
Tribe Acidocerini Helobata · Helochares · Novochares
Subfamily Chaetarthriinae
Tribe Anacaeini Anacaena · Crenitis · Crenitulus
Tribe Chaetarthrini Chaetarthria
Subfamily Enochrinae
Tribe Enochrini Cymbiodyta · Enochrus
Subfamily Hydrophilinae
Tribe Berosini Berosus · Derallus · Hemiosus
Tribe Hydrobiusini Ametor · Hydrobius · Limnohydrobius · Sperchopsis
Tribe Hydrophilini Hydrobiomorpha · Hydrochara · Hydrophilus · Tropisternus
Tribe Laccobiini Laccobius · Paracymus
Subfamily Sphaeridiinae
Tribe Coelostomatini Coelostoma · Dactylosternum · Phaenonotum
Tribe *Omicrini *Omicrus
Tribe Megasternini Agna · Cercyon · Cryptopleurum · *Cycrillum · Deltostethus · Megasternum · Oosternum · *Paraoosternum · Pelosoma · Tectosternum
Tribe Sphaeridiini Sphaeridium
Size
1‒40 mm(2) (exotic spp. up to 50 mm)
Identification
Aquatic forms may superficially resemble Dytiscidae but can be easily distinguished by antennae. Many have keeled sterna. The adults come up for air head first, and move hind legs alternately (Dytiscidae come up for air tail first and move hind legs together, like oars)
keys in (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)
gallery of se. spp.(9)
Range
Worldwide
Habitat
Mostly aquatic; Sphaeridiinae are terrestrial (in dung, compost, carrion, and other decaying organic matter)
Food
Some adults are scavengers and feed on dead plant and animal material, others are predatory. Larvae often predatory. Some terrestrial species feed on various decaying matter and associated maggots.
See Also
Dytiscidae are also aquatic beetles.
Larvae are sometimes mistaken for lacewing larvae.
Internet References
(10)
Works Cited
1.Molecular phylogeny, evolution, and classification of the Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera).
Short A.E.Z. & Fikacek M. 2013. Systematic Entomology 38: 723-​752.
2.American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia
Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). 2000. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
3.Order Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification...
Ślipiński S.A., Leschen R.A.B., Lawrence J.F. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 203–208.
4.Review of the Family Hydrophilidae of Canada and Alaska
Ales Smetana. 1988. Entomological Society of Canada.
5.Clifford H.F. (1991) Aquatic invertebrates of Alberta
6.Water Beetles of South Carolina
Janet Ciegler. 2003. Clemson University.
7.Aquatic Insects of North America
R. W. Merritt, K. W. Cummins, M.B. Berg. 2008. Kendall/Hunt.
8.The Water Beetles of Florida
Epler J.H. 2010. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Tallahassee. 414 pp.
9.Florida Association of Benthologists website
10.MacGown J.A. (2010) Aquatic Hydrophilidae of Mississippi
Contributed by Cotinis on 8 January, 2005 - 1:08pm
Additional contributions by Phillip Harpootlian, Mike Quinn, Tim Moyer, R. D. Haines, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, KenW, PaleoJon, mpintar
Last updated 24 August, 2024 - 7:35am

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