Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe. As of 2015, it is one of the 10 most species-rich animal families. They belong to the Adephaga. Members of the family are primarily carnivorous, but some members are phytophagous or omnivorous.
The Adephaga are a suborder of beetles, and with more than 40,000 recorded species in 10 families, the second-largest of the four beetle suborders. Members of this suborder are collectively known as adephagans. The largest family is Carabidae which comprises most of the suborder with over 40,000 species. Adephaga also includes a variety of aquatic beetles, such as predaceous diving beetles and whirligig beetles.
The Trachypachidae are a family of beetles that generally resemble small ground beetles, but that are distinguished by the large coxae of their rearmost legs. There are only six known extant species in the family, with four species of Trachypachus found in northern Eurasia and northern North America, and two species of Systolosoma in Chile and Argentina. They were much more diverse in the past, with dozens of described species from the Mesozoic.
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.
Myxophaga is the second-smallest suborder of the Coleoptera after Archostemata, consisting of roughly 65 species of small to minute beetles in four families. The members of this suborder are aquatic and semiaquatic, and feed on algae.
Jurodidae is a family of beetles that was originally described for the extinct genus Jurodes, known from the Middle-Late Jurassic of Asia. In 1996, a living species, Sikhotealinia zhiltzovae was discovered in the Sikhote-Alin mountains in Siberia, and assigned to this family. Their placement is uncertain, but are usually considered archostematans. In one study, Sikhotealinia and Jurodes were considered a sister group to all other archostematan beetles. However, other authors have considered them to mix characteristics of Archostemata, as well as Polyphaga and Adephaga.
Hygrobia is a genus of aquatic beetles native to Europe, North Africa, China and Australia. It is the only genus in the family Hygrobiidae, also known as the Paelobiidae. These are known commonly as squeak beetles or screech-beetles.
Rhysodinae is a subfamily in the family Carabidae. There are 19 genera and at least 380 described species in Rhysodinae. The group of genera making up Rhysodinae had been treated as the family Rhysodidae in the past, and subsequent DNA analysis then placed it within Carabidae, where it was sometimes treated as the tribe Rhysodini, but the most recent analyses place it as a subfamily in a clade along with subfamilies Paussinae and Siagoninae, forming a sister to the remaining Carabidae.
Omoglymmius is a genus of wrinkled bark beetles in the subfamily Rhysodinae, found on every continent except Africa and Antarctica. There are at least 150 species in Omoglymmius.
Omoglymmius gressitti is a species of beetle in the subfamily Rhysodidae. It was described by R.T. Bell and J.R. Bell in 1985. It is known from Mount Missim near Wau, Papua New Guinea. It is named for J. L. Gressitt and his wife, Margaret, "for their kind hospitality and assistance on our field trip to the Wau Ecological Institute".
Omoglymmius hesperus is a species of beetle in the subfamily Rhysodidae. It was described by Ross Bell and Joyce Bell in 1982.
Omoglymmius peckorum is a species of beetle in the subfamily Rhysodidae. It was described by R.T. Bell and J.R. Bell in 1985. It is known from Viti Levu, Fiji. It is named after the collectors of the type series, S. and J. Peck.
Omoglymmius tolai is a species of beetle in the subfamily Rhysodidae. It was described by R.T. Bell and J.R. Bell in 1985. It is known from New Britain.
Omoglymmius wallacei is a species of beetle in the subfamily Rhysodinae. It was described by R.T. Bell & J.R. Bell in 1988. It is known from lower montane forest on Mount Ambang near Kotamobagu, North Sulawesi (Indonesia). The specific name commemorates Alfred Russel Wallace, pioneering scientist who worked in the region, as well as "Project Wallace", during which the type series was collected (1985).
Clinidium rojasi is a species of ground beetle in the subfamily Rhysodinae. It was described by Louis Alexandre Auguste Chevrolat in 1873. It is known from the mountains of northern Venezuela between Falcón and Aragua states and from Guyana.
Ross Taylor Bell was an American entomologist with particular interest in the invertebrate natural history of Vermont, United States, and carabid beetles. Together with his wife, Joyce Bell, his work at the University of Vermont was largely taxonomic, where they described more than 75% of the rhysodine species known to science. Ross also wrote a number of seminal papers in his chosen field.
Aspidytes is a genus of aquatic beetles in the family Aspidytidae, first recorded in 2002 from specimens in South Africa. The genus contains the single species Aspidytes niobe. Originally a second species from China was placed in the same genus but has later been transferred to Sinaspidytes. The aquatic beetle is 6.5 - 7.2 mm long and lives in hygropetric habitats.
Bembidiina is a subtribe of ground beetles in the family Carabidae. There are about 5 genera and at least 140 described species in Bembidiina.
Aspidytidae is a family of aquatic beetles of the suborder Adephaga, described in 2002 from specimens in South Africa and China. There are only two known species in the family and these were originally described in the genus Aspidytes, but later the new genus Sinaspidytes was erected for the species found in China. The family can also be referred to by its trivial name cliff water beetles.
Sinaspidytes is a genus of aquatic beetles in Aspidytidae, first recorded in 2003 from specimens in the Shaanxi province, China. It is monotypic, with the only species being Sinaspidytes wrasei. Originally this species was placed in the genus Aspidytes with a second species from South Africa, but was later transferred to Sinaspidytes. The genus contains the single species S. wrasei. The aquatic beetle is 4.8 - 5.2 mm long and lives in hygropetric habitats.
