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Hydrophilidae

Water scavenger beetles

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Helophorinae
Epimetopinae
Georissinae
Hydrochinae
Spercheinae
Horelophinae
Horelophopsinae
Hydrophilinae
Sphaeridiinae
Angarolarva
Aposphinctus
Creniphilites
Cretohelophorus
Cretosperchus
Escheria
Hydrobiites
Hydrophilites
Hydrophilopsia
Hydrophilopsis
Mesohelophorus
Mesosperchus
Mesydra
Paraspercheus
Polysitum
Zetemenos

Containing group: Hydrophiloidea

Introduction

The Hydrophilidae are a primarily aquatic group of beetles, probably the largest such group in the Coleoptera. Most species are predacious as larvae and generally saprophagous as adults (Hansen, 1997). In addition to the primitively aquatic forms, one large lineage (Sphaeridiinae) has become secondarily terrestrial.

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

The monophyly of the group is unquestioned, and is supported by numerous synapomorphies, morphological and behavioral. However, although relationships among the subfamilies have received much recent attention (Hansen, 1991; Beutel, 1994; Hansen, 1995; Archangelsky, 1998; Beutel, 1999), there has been little agreement; a consensus of available cladograms would produce an entirely unresolved topology.

References

Archangelsky, M. 1998. Phylogeny of Hydrophiloidea using characters from adult and preimaginal stages. Systematic Entomology 23:9-24.

Beutel, R. G. 1994. Phylogenetic analysis of Hydrophiloidea based on characters of the head of adults and larvae. Koleopterologische Rundschau 64:103-131.

Beutel, R. G. 1999. Morphology and evolution of the larval head of Hydrophiloidea and Histeroidea. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 142:9-30.

Hansen, M. 1991. The hydrophiloid beetles. Phylogeny, classification and a revision of the genera. Biologiske Skrifter 40:1-368.

Hansen, M. 1995. Evolution and classification of the Hydrophiloidea - A systematic review. Pages 321-353 in Biology, Phylogeny, and Classification of the Coleoptera: Papers Celebrating the 80th Birthday of Roy A. Crowson (J. Pakaluk, and S. A. Slipinski, eds.). Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warsaw.

Van Tassell, E. R. 2001. Hydrophilidae. pp. 187-208 in Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). American Beetles. Volume 1. Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. xvi + 443 pp.

Information on the Internet

Title Illustrations

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Scientific Name	Hydrochus
Specimen Condition	Dead Specimen
Copyright	© 2002

Scientific Name	Epimetopus
Specimen Condition	Dead Specimen
Copyright	© 2002

Scientific Name	Tropisternus
Specimen Condition	Dead Specimen
Copyright	© 2002

About This Page

Content changed 09 May 2007

Citing this page:

Caterino, Michael S. 2007. Hydrophilidae. Water scavenger beetles. Version 09 May 2007 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Hydrophilidae/9224/2007.05.09 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/