Clown-beetle
Guides
Psiloscelis abnormalis
clown beetle
Psiloscelis abnormalis is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, described by Mann in 1924. It is known from limited distribution records in the northern Great Plains region of North America, specifically from the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the U.S. state of North Dakota. Like other members of Histeridae, it is presumed to be associated with decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details remain undocumented.
Psiloscelis planipes
clown beetle
Psiloscelis planipes is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae. It is found in North America.
Psiloscelis subopaca
clown beetle
Psiloscelis subopaca is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by LeConte in 1863. It is a small beetle distributed across western and central North America, with records from Canada and the United States. Like other histerids, it is likely associated with decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Saprinus discoidalis
clown beetle
Saprinus discoidalis is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1851. It belongs to the subfamily Saprininae, a group characterized by small, spherical, highly polished beetles. The species is known from North America with records from western Canada, the western and central United States, and Mexico.
Saprinus distinguendus
clown beetle
Saprinus distinguendus is a species of clown beetle (family Histeridae) described by Marseul in 1855. It is distributed across North America, with records from Canada and the northern United States. Like other members of the genus Saprinus, it is a predatory beetle typically associated with decomposing organic matter.
Saprinus felipae
clown beetle
Saprinus felipae is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae. It was described by Lewis in 1913. The species belongs to the subfamily Saprininae, a group of predatory beetles commonly associated with carrion and decomposing organic matter. Like other members of its genus, it is likely predatory on other small insects found in such habitats.
Saprinus fimbriatus
Saprinus fimbriatus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, subfamily Saprininae. It is native to western North America, with records from the western United States, southwestern Canada, and Mexico. As with other histerid beetles, it is likely associated with carrion and decomposing animal matter, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited. The species was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1851.
Saprinus ignotus
Saprinus ignotus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, subfamily Saprininae. The species was described by Marseul in 1855. GBIF records indicate occurrence in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil. The genus Saprinus comprises predatory beetles typically associated with carrion, dung, and other decomposing organic matter.
Saprinus impressus
clown beetle
Saprinus impressus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by J.E. LeConte in 1844. It is distributed across North America, with records from Canada, the United States, and Mexico. As a member of the subfamily Saprininae, it shares the characteristic traits of hister beetles including a compact, convex body form and predatory habits.
Saprinus laciniatus
Saprinus laciniatus is a species of clown beetle (family Histeridae) described by Casey in 1916. It belongs to the subfamily Saprininae, a group of small, predatory beetles commonly associated with carrion and decomposing animal matter. The genus Saprinus is widespread and diverse, with species typically found in habitats rich in decaying organic material where they prey on other insects.
Saprinus lubricus
Saprinus lubricus is a species of clown beetle (family Histeridae) in the subfamily Saprininae. It was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1851. The species is distributed across North America from Canada to Central America, with records extending south to Argentina and Chile. Like other hister beetles, it is likely associated with carrion and decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details for this species are limited.
Saprinus martini
Saprinus martini is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, described by Henry Clinton Fall in 1917. The species belongs to the subfamily Saprininae, a group of predatory beetles commonly associated with carrion, dung, and other decomposing organic matter. Records indicate it occurs in western North America including California, Oregon, Nebraska, and Mexico. Like other histerids, it likely exhibits the family's characteristic behaviors including playing dead when disturbed and preying on other insects.
Saprinus oregonensis
clown beetle
Saprinus oregonensis is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by LeConte in 1844. The species is distributed across western North America, with records from Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan), the United States (California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington), and Mexico. As a member of the Saprininae subfamily, it belongs to a group of predatory beetles commonly associated with carrion, dung, and other decomposing organic matter.
Saprinus pensylvanicus
Pennsylvania Clown Beetle
Saprinus pensylvanicus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, distributed across eastern North America from New England to Florida. Like other histerid beetles, it is predatory and associated with decomposing organic matter. The species is part of a diverse genus of small, compact beetles known for their shiny appearance and habit of playing dead when disturbed.
Saprinus profusus
clown beetle
Saprinus profusus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by Thomas Lincoln Casey Jr. in 1893. Like other members of the genus Saprinus, it belongs to the subfamily Saprininae, a group of small, predatory beetles commonly associated with decomposing organic matter. The species is documented from North America with specific records from Canada and multiple U.S. states.
Saprinus scabriceps
Saprinus scabriceps is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, described by Casey in 1916. Like other members of the genus Saprinus, it is likely associated with carrion and decomposing organic matter. The species has been recorded from the western United States, specifically Nevada and Oregon. As with most histerids, it is presumed to be predatory on other insects, particularly fly larvae, in its habitat.
Saprinus subnitescens
clown beetle
Saprinus subnitescens is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae. It has been recorded from Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. The species was described by Bickhardt in 1909. As a member of the genus Saprinus, it belongs to a group of small, predatory beetles commonly associated with carrion and dung habitats.
Saprinus vestitus
Saprinus vestitus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1851. It is classified within the subfamily Saprininae and placed in the subgenus Xerosaprinus. The species is known from California, USA. Histerid beetles in this genus are typically small, predatory beetles associated with decomposing organic matter.
Saprinus vitiosus
Saprinus vitiosus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1851. It belongs to the subfamily Saprininae, a group of small, predatory beetles commonly associated with carrion and dung. The species has been recorded from the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other hister beetles, it is likely predatory on other insects in decaying organic matter.
Spilodiscus arcuatus
clown beetle
Spilodiscus arcuatus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by Thomas Say in 1825. It is a small beetle distributed across eastern and central North America, with records from Canada and numerous U.S. states. As a member of Histeridae, it likely occupies decomposing organic matter habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Spilodiscus gloveri
clown beetle
Spilodiscus gloveri is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by Horn in 1870. It is characterized by a black body with two distinctive red maculations (spots) on the elytra, a color pattern that inspired the genus name 'Spilodiscus' (spotted disc). The species occurs in North America, with documented records from the south-central and south-western United States.
Spilodiscus sellatus
clown beetle
Spilodiscus sellatus is a species of clown beetle (family Histeridae) described by LeConte in 1857. It is found in western North America, with records from Canada, the United States, and possibly Mexico. The species belongs to a genus characterized by distinctive elytral markings.
Teretriosoma paradoxum
Teretriosoma paradoxum is a small clown beetle in the family Histeridae, described by Lewis in 1888. It belongs to the tribe Teretriini, a group of minute histerids often associated with decaying organic matter and fungi. The species is documented from Central America, with records from Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it likely inhabits microhabitats in forested environments, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Teretrius cylindrellus
clown beetle
Teretrius cylindrellus is a small species of clown beetle (family Histeridae) described by Casey in 1916. It belongs to the tribe Teretriini within the subfamily Abraeinae, a group characterized by compact, often cylindrical body forms. The species is known from California, USA, and is part of a genus whose members are generally associated with decaying organic matter and fungal habitats.
Teretrius placitus
clown beetle
Teretrius placitus is a small clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by Horn in 1880. The species belongs to the subfamily Abraeinae, a group characterized by minute body size and reduced elytra. It is known from limited collection records in the southwestern United States, specifically Nevada. As with most Teretriini, detailed biological information remains sparse due to its cryptic habits and small size.
Xestipyge geminatum
clown beetle
Xestipyge geminatum is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1860. It is one of at least three species in the genus Xestipyge found in North America. The species has been recorded across a broad geographic range spanning eastern and central North America, from Canada through the United States to Texas and Florida.