| Sphaeridium | |
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| Sphaeridium lunatum | |
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| Genus: | Sphaeridium Fabricius, 1775 |
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see text | |
Sphaeridium is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America. [1]
The adults are 4 to 7.5 millimeters long. They have short antennae with hairy clubs at the tips. [2]
These beetles live in cow dung. The adults feed on the dung and other organic matter, [1] but the beetle larvae are predators of the maggots of the flies that breed in the dung, such as the face fly (Musca autumnalis). Two or more Sphaeridium beetle species may coexist in one pat, and the larvae may feed on each other. The female beetle deposits several eggs encased in a cocoon. [3]
Species include: [4]
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.
Pentatomidae is a family of insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, generally called shield bugs or stink bugs. Pentatomidae is the largest family in the superfamily Pentatomoidea, and contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species. As hemipterans, the pentatomids have piercing sucking mouthparts, and most are phytophagous, including several species which are severe pests on agricultural crops. However, some species, particularly in the subfamily Asopinae, are predatory and may be considered beneficial.
Hydraenidae is a family of very small aquatic beetles, sometimes called "Minute moss beetles", with a worldwide distribution. They are around 0.8 to 3.3 mm in length. The adults store air on the underside of the body as well as beneath the elytra which allows them to crawl underwater, often on the underside of the water surface tension, though they cannot swim. Some species have gills that effectively allow them to stay underwater indefinitely. Larvae vary from being fully terrestrial, to being aquatic at least in their earliest instars. The diet of hydraenid larvae and adults is thought to consist of algae, spores and other plant matter. At least some hydraenid adults use stridulation to communicate. There are around 1,300 species in 42 genera.
Dermestes is a genus of beetles in the family Dermestidae, the skin beetles. The genus is distributed worldwide.
Hydrochus is the only living genus of beetle in the family Hydrochidae, which belongs to the superfamily Hydrophiloidea. Hydrochus includes about 180 species, which are found worldwide. Hydrochus has also been used for a fly genus in the family Dolichopodidae. This junior homonym is a junior subjective synonym of the genus Rhaphium.
Hydrophilus is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. There are 53 species in three subgenera in the genus: Hydrophilus, Dibolocelus, and Temnopterus.
Helochares is a genus of water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, represented by 161 described species. It is distributed across the Afrotropical, Australasian, Indo-Malayan, Nearctic, and Palearctic realms.
Hydrochara is a genus of hydrophilid beetles with 23 species in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Hydrobiomorpha is a genus of water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae. There are 56 extant described species in Hydrobiomorpha, along with several fossil species.
Dactylosternum is a genus of water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae. There are more than 20 described species in Dactylosternum.
Cryptopleurum is a genus of water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae. There are about 11 described species in Cryptopleurum.
Coelostoma is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Hydrophilidae. The genus was first described by Brullé in 1835. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution, with 111 described species, representing one of the most diverse genera of Hydrophilidae.
Regimbartia is a small genus of beetles belonging to the family Hydrophilidae comprising ten species distributed throughout Africa, South Asia, South East Asia and Australia.
Batochares is an Afrotropical genus of water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae represented by three described species.
Amphiops is a genus of aquatic beetles in the tribe Amphiopini of the family Hydrophilidae, first described by Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1843.
Allocotocerus is a genus of water beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, first described by Ernst Gustav Kraatz in 1883. The decision for synonymy is based on Hansen (1999).
