Beetles
Guides
Adephaga
Ground and Water Beetles, adephagans
Adephaga is the second-largest suborder of beetles, comprising over 40,000 species across 10 families. The suborder includes ground beetles (Carabidae), tiger beetles, predaceous diving beetles, and whirligig beetles. Members are characterized by specialized anatomical features including visible notopleural sutures and a first abdominal sternum separated by hind coxae. The vast majority of species belong to the family Carabidae.
Aerenicini
Aerenicini is a tribe of longhorn beetles in the subfamily Lamiinae, within Cerambycidae. The name is associated with Lacordaire in 1872 in the consulted taxonomic records. GBIF-linked treatments list many South American genera, including Aerenica, Aereniphaula, Antodice, Phaula, and Suipinima. The available evidence is uneven across genera, so details below are limited to documented examples.
Agyrtinae
Agyrtinae is a subfamily of beetles within Agyrtidae, a small lineage traditionally known as primitive carrion beetles. It includes Agyrtes, Ecanus, Ipelates, and Lyrosoma. Its members do not share one narrow way of life: documented examples range from beetles associated with decaying wood and fungi to coastal species recorded with kelp and dead seabirds. Those examples concern particular genera or species and should not be treated as traits of every Agyrtinae beetle.
Airaphilus
Airaphilus is a genus of beetles in the family Silvanidae, subfamily Silvaninae. The genus contains approximately 30 described species distributed across Europe, North Africa, Madagascar, and Japan. At least one species, Airaphilus abei, is flightless (apterous) and has been assessed as potentially endangered due to habitat loss. The genus was first described by Redtenbacher in 1858.
Amphiopini
Amphiopini is a tribe of small beetles placed in the hydrophilid subfamily Hydrophilinae. The available tribal account describes its members as aquatic beetles and reports an adult length of about 3–5 mm. Amphiopini was described by August Ferdinand Kuwert in 1890. The name has also been synonymised with Chaetarthriini, so older literature may use a different tribal name.
Anoplodermatinae
Anoplodermatinae is a subfamily of beetles in the longhorn-beetle family Cerambycidae. It was described by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville in 1840. The cited taxonomic account divides it into the tribes Anoplodermatini, Hypocephalini, and Mysteriini. Its members are not uniform in appearance or natural history: Hypocephalus armatus, for example, is a soil-dwelling beetle with strong digging adaptations.
Anthicini
Anthicini is a tribe of ant-like beetles in the family Anthicidae. Taxonomic databases place the tribe in the subfamily Anthicinae, within the order Coleoptera. Members of the family are noted for a body plan that can resemble an ant, although the tribe contains many genera and species rather than one uniform appearance. Information about behavior and life history is uneven at tribe level, so family-level traits should not be treated as a description of every Anthicini member.
Apalonia
Apalonia is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, established by Casey in 1906. The genus contains at least 40 described species, placing it among the more species-rich genera within the aleocharine rove beetles. These beetles belong to the tribe Athetini, a large and diverse group characterized by small body size and complex morphological features. The genus has been documented in entomological collections, though detailed biological studies remain limited for most species.
Aplastini
Aplastini is a tribe of click beetles (Elateridae) within the order Coleoptera. Members of this tribe are characterized by morphological features that distinguish them from other elaterid tribes, though detailed biological information remains limited. The tribe contains relatively few described species compared to larger elaterid tribes. Observations suggest they occupy diverse terrestrial habitats across their range.
Apostasimerini
flower weevils
Apostasimerini is a large tribe of weevils within the family Curculionidae, commonly referred to as flower weevils. The tribe contains substantial diversity, with estimates ranging from 30+ genera and 70+ species to over 240 genera and nearly 1700 described species depending on taxonomic interpretation. Members are associated with flowering plants, though specific ecological relationships vary across the tribe. The group has been documented across multiple continents with notable representation in North America.
Archeocrypticidae
cryptic fungus beetles, Ancient Fungus Beetle
Archeocrypticidae is a small family of beetles comprising approximately 10 genera and 50 species worldwide. Commonly referred to as cryptic fungus beetles, members of this family are saprophagous, with adults and larvae typically found in plant litter and associated with fungal substrates. The family exhibits a predominantly pantropical distribution, with notable diversity in Australia and relative absence from temperate Palearctic and Nearctic regions.
Attageninae
attagenine beetles
Attageninae is a lineage of dermestid beetles within Coleoptera. The name is used in modern references as a subfamily, although some taxonomic treatments have reassigned related family-group names at tribal rank. Because this is a subfamily rather than one species, its members are not expected to share a single appearance, range, or food source. Documented larval and pupal biology provides the clearest shared distinction for this subfamily.
Autalia
Autalia is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Leach in 1819. The genus belongs to the subfamily Aleocharinae and is the type genus of the tribe Autaliini. Species are documented from Europe, Northern America, and the Neotropics. The genus includes at least four recognized species: Autalia impressa, A. longicornis, A. puncticollis, and A. rivularis.
Bactridium
root-eating beetles
Bactridium is a genus of beetles in the family Monotomidae, commonly referred to as root-eating beetles. The genus contains approximately 18 described species. These beetles belong to the order Coleoptera and are part of a family characterized by small size and association with decaying organic matter.
Belonuchus
Belonuchus is a genus of large rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, comprising more than 30 described species. Members of this genus are found in the Americas, with records from Mexico and the southwestern United States. At least one species, B. cifuentesi, has been documented in association with Agave plants. The genus is characterized by features typical of the tribe Staphylinini within the subfamily Staphylininae.
Bembidion dejectum
Bembidion pseudocautum
Pseudocautum Bembidion Beetle
Bembidion pseudocautum is a ground beetle species in the family Carabidae, described by Lindroth in 1963. It is found in North America, with records from Canada and the United States. No observations have been recorded in iNaturalist.
Boganiidae
Boganiidae is a family of small beetles placed in Cucujoidea. It contains Boganiinae and Paracucujinae, along with fossil forms extending its record into the Mesozoic. Living members occur in southern Africa, Australia, and New Caledonia. Pollen feeding is recurring, and some species are associated with cycad pollination.
Bolboceratidae
Bolboceratidae is a family of scarab-like beetles commonly associated with underground burrows. Many modern authors treat it as a distinct lineage, although older classifications placed it within Geotrupidae. Its members are reported from much of the world, with especially many taxa in the southern continents and Australia. A characteristic life-history feature is the preparation of larval brood burrows provisioned with humus.
Bostrichoidea
Carpet, Powderpost, and Deathwatch Beetles
Bostrichoidea is a superfamily of beetles within the infraorder Bostrichiformia. It encompasses several families including Bostrichidae (powder-post and horned beetles), Dermestidae (carpet beetles), Endecatomidae, and Ptinidae (death-watch and spider beetles). Members are predominantly associated with dry habitats and exhibit diverse ecological roles ranging from wood-boring to scavenging on dried organic matter. The superfamily is united by modified cryptonephridism, male aedeagus structure, and larval mandibular morphology lacking a basal mola.
Brachypsectridae
Texas beetles
Brachypsectridae is a small family of beetles in the superfamily Elateroidea, commonly known as Texas beetles. The family contains two extant genera—Brachypsectra (cosmopolitan in arid regions) and Asiopsectra (Central Asia and Middle East)—plus several fossil genera from Cretaceous amber. Adults are small, soft-bodied beetles lacking the functional prothoracic clicking mechanism typical of related elateroids. Larvae are highly distinctive ambush predators with flattened bodies and feathery lateral lobes.
Brontinae
Brontinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Silvanidae, established by Blanchard in 1845. These beetles are part of the superfamily Cucujoidea, a diverse group of small to medium-sized beetles often associated with stored products, decaying plant matter, or fungal habitats. The subfamily contains multiple genera and is primarily distinguished by morphological features of the head and antennae. Brontinae species are found across various regions but are not as extensively studied as some other silvanid groups.
Byrrhodes
death-watch beetles, spider beetles
Byrrhodes is a genus of small beetles in the family Ptinidae, commonly referred to as death-watch and spider beetles. The genus contains approximately 14 described species. These beetles are typically associated with dry organic materials and wood products. Taxonomic placement has varied, with some sources historically placing the genus in Anobiidae.
Callimoxys
blood-necked longhorn (for C. sanguinicollis)
Callimoxys is a genus of long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae) in the tribe Stenopterini. The genus comprises eight extant species and one fossil species, distributed primarily in North America and Europe. Species are generally small to medium-sized cerambycids with slender bodies. The genus was established by Kraatz in 1863.
Calochrominae
Calochrominae is a subfamily of net-winged beetles (family Lycidae) established by Lacordaire in 1857. The subfamily contains at least 4 genera and more than 30 described species, organized into two tribes: Calochromini and Slipinskiini. Members of this group share the characteristic elytra with net-like venation typical of Lycidae.
Cantharinae
soldier beetles
Cantharinae is a subfamily of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae, comprising at least 200 described species. The subfamily is divided into two extant tribes—Cantharini and Podabrini—plus the extinct tribe †Cacomorphocerini known from Baltic amber. Members are distributed globally and are among the most frequently observed beetles in temperate regions. The subfamily has been extensively documented in amber deposits, with multiple fossil genera described from Cretaceous and Eocene deposits.
Cavognathidae
Cavognathidae is a small family of beetles placed in Cucujoidea. Current summaries recognize Taphropiestes, with about a dozen species known from parts of South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Adults and larvae of Australian and New Zealand species have been found in bird nests. These observations are useful ecological clues, but the family’s way of life remains incompletely known.
Chalcodryidae
Chalcodryidae is a family of beetles in Tenebrionoidea. J. C. Watt established it in 1974 from both adult and larval characters. Its best-known genera are Chalcodrya and Philpottia, whose named species are endemic to New Zealand. Accounts associate adults with moss- or lichen-covered branches and report larvae from dead twigs.
Chlamydopsinae
Chlamydopsinae is a subfamily of clown beetles in Histeridae. About 13 genera and more than 170 described species, although totals can change as taxonomy is revised. The group is described as obligate inquilinous, meaning its members live in close association with another organism. Host relationships vary and are not established uniformly for every genus or species.
Clavigerini
Clavigerini is a tribe of pselaphine rove beetles. Publicly documented biology is concentrated in clavigerite beetles associated with ants, especially the genus Claviger. Those beetles show specialized body structures and behaviors linked to life in or near ant colonies. Host, range, and life-history traits are not uniform across the tribe.
Cleroidea
Bark-gnawing, Checkered, and Soft-winged Flower Beetles
Cleroidea is a superfamily of beetles comprising over 10,000 species across approximately 24 families. Members are generally slender with soft, flexible elytra and typically bear hairy or scaly integuments. The superfamily exhibits diverse feeding strategies: predation (Cleridae, Trogossitinae), pollen/nectar consumption (melyrid lineage), and fungivory (many Trogossitidae and smaller families). Aposematic coloration occurs in some groups, particularly Cleridae and Malachiinae, mimicking unpalatable arthropods such as blister beetles, net-winged beetles, and stinging Hymenoptera.
Coleoptera
beetles
Coleoptera, commonly known as beetles, is the largest order of insects and the most diverse order of organisms on Earth, comprising approximately 400,000 described species. Members are distinguished by their hardened forewings, called elytra, which form a protective shell over the membranous hindwings and abdomen. This order includes about 40% of all described insect species and 25% of all known animal life-forms. Beetles occupy virtually every terrestrial and freshwater habitat, with species ranging from minute (under 1 mm) to large (over 100 mm). The order is divided into four suborders: Archostemata, Adephaga, Myxophaga, and Polyphaga, with Polyphaga containing the vast majority of species.
Colonidae
Colonidae is a small family of beetles in the superfamily Staphylinoidea, commonly known as colon beetles. The family contains approximately 50 described species in the single genus *Colon*. These beetles are small, compact, and primarily associated with decaying organic matter and fungi. They are closely related to the rove beetles (Staphylinidae) but are distinguished by their more rounded body form and reduced elytra that still cover most of the abdomen.
Conibius
Conibius is a genus of darkling beetles (family Tenebrionidae) established by John Lawrence LeConte in 1851. The genus occurs across the Nearctic, Neotropic, and Oceania biogeographic realms, with 116 iNaturalist observations indicating moderate documentation. As a member of Tenebrionidae, these beetles are characterized by hardened forewings (elytra) and generally cryptic habits. The genus lacks significant economic importance and has received limited dedicated study.
Corticotomus
Corticotomus is a genus of beetles in the family Trogossitidae, established by Sharp in 1891. Members of this genus are part of a family commonly known as bark-gnawing beetles, though specific ecological details for Corticotomus remain limited in published literature. The genus is represented by observations on iNaturalist, indicating ongoing documentation by naturalists.
Cucujoidea
flat bark beetles, fungus beetles, sap beetles
Cucujoidea is a superfamily of beetles within the infraorder Cucujiformia, comprising 25 extant families and two extinct families. This group includes fungus beetles, flat bark beetles, sap beetles, and diverse lineages of 'bark beetles' unrelated to the true bark beetles (Scolytinae, Curculionoidea). Members exhibit varied morphology without unifying external features, though adults share internal characteristics including open procoxal cavities and specific tarsal formulas. The superfamily formerly encompassed families now placed in Coccinelloidea. Ecologically, most species have cryptic habits in fungi, leaf litter, or dead wood, with some lineages associated with flowers or stored food products.
Cyclaxyridae
Cyclaxyridae is a family of cucujoid beetles with a living fauna centered on New Zealand. The only living genus is Cyclaxyra, which contains two described species; several other genera are known only from fossils. Living cyclaxyrids are associated with sooty moulds and are described as mycophagous, feeding on spores, conidia, and hyphae. The family therefore links a small modern beetle lineage with a much longer fossil record extending from the Cretaceous to the present.
Cyphea
Cyphea is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae, and tribe Homalotini. It was described by Fauvel in 1863. The genus contains at least one described species, Cyphea curtula. Members of this genus are found in Europe and North America.
Dascilloidea
soft bodied plant beetles, cicada beetle and cicada parasite beetles
Dascilloidea is a small superfamily of polyphagan beetles containing two families: Dascillidae (soft-bodied plant beetles) and Rhipiceridae (cicada beetles and cicada parasite beetles). Members exhibit diverse ecological strategies, with some associated with plants and others parasitic on cicadas. The superfamily is part of the infraorder Elateriformia within the suborder Polyphaga.
Dendarini
Dendarini is a tribe of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. Current classifications place it in the subfamily Blaptinae and divide it into the subtribes Dendarina and Melambiina. More than 30 genera are assigned to the tribe, with listed members occurring in the Palearctic and tropical Africa. Because Dendarini contains many genera, its appearance and natural history are better understood as a range of documented forms than as one uniform beetle type.
Dermestinae
Dermestinae is a subfamily of beetles in Dermestidae. It includes Dermestes and several related genera. Classification is well documented, while much natural history is reported for Dermestidae as a whole or for individual genera and species. Those observations provide context but are not a complete description of every member.
Derodontidae
tooth-necked fungus beetles
Derodontidae is a small family of beetles comprising 42 species in 4 genera and 3 subfamilies. Members are commonly known as tooth-necked fungus beetles due to the spiny pronotal margins found in most genera, though the genus Laricobius lacks these spines. The family is notable for possessing two ocelli on the head, an unusual trait among beetles. The genus Laricobius has gained significant attention as a biological control agent for invasive adelgids threatening hemlock forests in North America.
Dicranopselaphus
water-penny beetles
Dicranopselaphus is a genus of water-penny beetles in the family Psephenidae, comprising over 40 described species. The genus exhibits a disjunct distribution spanning Asia and North America. Members are aquatic beetles with distinctive flattened, oval larval forms adapted to clinging to submerged surfaces in flowing water.
Dinapate
giant palm borer
Dinapate is a genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae, native to North America. The genus includes Dinapate wrightii, known as the giant palm borer, which has been documented as a pest of native desert palms in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Records indicate association with palm oases in arid regions.
Diplocoelus
Diplocoelus is a genus of small beetles in the family Biphyllidae, comprising approximately 45 described species distributed across multiple continents. The genus includes both extant species and one fossil species (D. probiphyllus) known from Baltic amber. Species within Diplocoelus exhibit considerable morphological diversity in body form and surface sculpturing. The genus was established by Guérin-Méneville in 1838.
Discolomatidae
Discolomatidae is a family of small beetles placed in the superfamily Coccinelloidea. The family contains about 400 described species in roughly 16 genera, although the exact total depends on the classification used. Discolomatids are concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions and are most often encountered in association with bark, fungi, lichens, leaf litter, or decaying plant material. Some genera include species recorded in association with ants, but those relationships are not established for the family as a whole.
Disteniidae
Disteniidae is a family of slender beetles in the superfamily Chrysomeloidea and the closest living sister lineage to the longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae). It is a relatively small, understudied family with more than 300 described species, although estimates vary among classifications. Disteniids are recorded across tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions, with no native records from Australia or New Zealand in a recent review. Adults are usually found on plant surfaces, while larvae are associated with wood, especially beneath the bark or in the sapwood of dead or dying trees and shrubs.
Dorcaschema
Dorcaschema is a genus of longhorn beetles in the family Cerambycidae, subfamily Lamiinae. The genus is native to the New World. Species in this genus are characterized by their elongated bodies and long antennae typical of cerambycids. The genus was established by Haldeman in 1847.
Dryobiini
Dryobiini is a small tribe of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) within the subfamily Cerambycinae. The tribe contains at least three genera: Anisotyma (monotypic), Dryobius, and Ornithia. These beetles are characterized by their elongated bodies and antennae, typical of cerambycids. The tribe has been documented from the southwestern United States through Mexico.
Dyscinetus
Rice Beetles
Dyscinetus is a genus of scarab beetles in the tribe Cyclocephalini, commonly known as rice beetles. The genus contains at least 24 described species distributed across the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Larval stages have been described for some species, including D. dubius, but detailed biological information remains limited for most taxa.