Spercheus is a genus of aquatic beetles which are placed in a family of their own, Spercheidae within the Hydrophiloidea. About 20 species are known from around the world except the Nearctic with the majority being from the Oriental and Afrotropical Realms.
Amphizoa is a genus of aquatic beetles in the suborder Adephaga, placed in its own monogeneric family, Amphizoidae. There are five known species of Amphizoa, three in western North America and two in the eastern Palearctic. They are sometimes referred to by the common name troutstream beetles.
Hydrophilidae, also known colloquially as water scavenger beetles, is a family of beetles. Aquatic hydrophilids are notable for their long maxillary palps, which are longer than their antennae. Several of the former subfamilies of Hydrophilidae have recently been removed and elevated to family rank; Epimetopidae, Georissidae, Helophoridae, Hydrochidae, and Spercheidae. While the majority of hydrophilids are aquatic, around a third of described species are terrestrial, mostly belonging to the subfamily Sphaeridiinae.
The Cucujidae, "flat bark beetles," are a family of distinctively flat beetles found worldwide under the bark of dead trees. The family has received considerable taxonomic attention in recent years and now consists of 70 species distributed in five genera. It was indicated Cucujus species are scavengers, only feeding on pupae and larvae of other insects and on other subcortical beetles such as their own. Since the Cucujidae prey on larvae of potentially tree damaging beetles that spread fungal diseases, they are considered to be beneficial to the health of living trees.
Staphyliniformia is a large infraorder of beetles. It contains over 70,000 described species from all regions of the world. Most species occur in moist habitats - various kinds of rotting plant debris, fungi, dung, carrion, many live in fresh water.
Prostomidae is a family of beetles with no vernacular common name, though recent authors have coined the name jugular-horned beetles. They are often found in dead wood. The family consist of two extant genera with about 20 species. Prostomis americanus is known from North America. Other species of Prostomis are found in Europe, Africa, the Pacific region and East Asia. Species of Dryocora are known from New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania.
The Cassidinae are a subfamily of the leaf beetles, or Chrysomelidae. The antennae arise close to each other and some members have the pronotal and elytral edges extended to the side and covering the legs so as to give them the common name of tortoise beetles. Some members, such as in the tribe Hispini, are notable for the spiny outgrowths to the pronotum and elytra.
Georissus, also called minute mud-loving beetles, is the only genus in the beetle family Georissidae. They are tiny insects living in wet soil, often near water. They are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Silvanidae, "silvan flat bark beetles", is a family of beetles in the superfamily Cucujoidea, consisting of 68 described genera and about 500 described species. The family is represented on all continents except Antarctica, and is most diverse at both the generic and species levels in the Old World tropics.
Pelorus Bridge is a tiny locality in Marlborough, New Zealand where the Rai River meets Pelorus River. State Highway 6 crosses the Pelorus River at Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve, which was used as one of the film locations for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. You can take a guided kayak tour to experience this Hobbit filming location.
Amychus granulatus, commonly known as the Cook Strait click beetle, is a large flightless click beetle in the family Elateridae.
Geodorcus servandus is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It was discovered by P.R. Kettle in December 1960 and this holotype specimen is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. It was first described by Beverley Holloway in 2007. Its type location is Mount Tuhua summit, near Lake Kaniere on the West Coast of New Zealand. The name servandus is a Latin word meaning "[something] to be preserved, conserved, looked after".
Mecodema aoteanoho is a medium-sized ground beetle, the only such beetle endemic to Great Barrier Island (Aotea), Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand. Mecodema aoteanoho is a sister species to M. haunoho and is closely related to the Coromandel (mainland) species, M. atrox, all of which are species within the monophyletic curvidens group. There are a number of other characters that distinguish M. aoteanoho from all other North Island Mecodema, especially the pattern of the striations on the elytra.
Amychus manawatawhi, commonly known as the Three Kings click beetle, is a large flightless click beetle in the family Elateridae, found only on the Three Kings Islands of New Zealand.
Mecodema howitti, termed the Large Banks Peninsula ground beetle, is a carnivorous forest ground beetle in the genus Mecodema. It is endemic to Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand, and is the largest of the 16 carabids found in the area.
Acidocerus aphodioides is a species of water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae. It is the only species in the genus Acidocerus. It is known only from Mozambique.
Mecodema crenicolle is an endemic species of ground beetle from New Zealand.
Agraphydrus is a genus of water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae represented by 205 described species. It is distributed across the Afrotropical, Australasian, and Indomalayan realms.
Helopeltarium is a genus of water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae represented by only one species. It is known only from Myanmar.
Paropsisterna beata, commonly known as the blessed leaf beetle, is a species of leaf beetle. It occurs in all states of Australia except Tasmania.
