Freshwater-insects
Guides
Ametropus
sand minnows
Ametropus is a genus of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) commonly known as sand minnows, belonging to the family Ametropodidae. The genus contains at least three described species: A. ammophilus, A. fragilis, and A. neavei. Species in this genus are adapted to large river systems and exhibit specialized ecological traits including deep-water nymphal habitats and detritivorous feeding habits.
Byrrhoidea
Pill, Water and Toe-winged Beetles
Byrrhoidea is a superfamily of beetles within Elateriformia, comprising families that are primarily aquatic or semi-aquatic. It includes the families Byrrhidae (pill beetles), Elmidae (riffle beetles), Dryopidae (long-toed water beetles), Limnichidae (minute marsh-loving beetles), Psephenidae (water penny beetles), Heteroceridae (variegated mud-loving beetles), Chelonariidae (turtle beetles), Eulichadidae (forest stream beetles), Callirhipidae (cedar beetles), Cneoglossidae, and Ptilodactylidae. The superfamily was historically split into Dryopoidea, which is no longer recognized as separate. The current circumscription of Byrrhoidea may not be monophyletic, with Buprestoidea nested within it in some phylogenetic analyses.
Chaetarthria
Chaetarthria is a genus of water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, first described by Stephens in 1835. The genus contains at least 27 described species. These beetles are placed in the subfamily Chaetarthriinae and tribe Chaetarthriini. They are small aquatic beetles associated with freshwater habitats.
Chilostigmini
northern caddisflies
Chilostigmini is a tribe of caddisflies within the family Limnephilidae, first described by Schmid in 1955. The tribe comprises approximately 12 genera and at least 40 described species, with Chilostigma R. McLachlan, 1876 as its type genus. Members are distributed across northern regions and are associated with freshwater habitats. The tribe is classified within the subfamily Limnephilinae.
Coenagrionidae
Narrow-winged Damselflies, Pond Damselflies
Coenagrionidae is the largest family of damselflies, comprising over 1,300 species across more than 110 genera. Members are commonly known as narrow-winged or pond damselflies. They are distinguished from other damselfly families by wing venation characters, including two antenodal cross veins and the position of vein M3 relative to the nodus and arculus. The family has a worldwide distribution and is divided into six subfamilies: Agriocnemidinae, Argiinae, Coenagrioninae, Ischnurinae, Leptobasinae, and Pseudagrioninae.
Dubiraphia
riffle beetles
Dubiraphia is a genus of riffle beetles in the family Elmidae, established by Sanderson in 1954. The genus contains approximately 11 described species distributed in North America. These beetles are aquatic or semi-aquatic, inhabiting flowing water environments. Species within Dubiraphia are distinguished by morphological features of the elytra and male genitalia.
Gymnusa
Gymnusa is a genus of small rove beetles in the tribe Gymnusini, characterized by uniformly dark coloration and semi-aquatic to aquatic habits. Species range from 4.2 to 6.5 mm in length and inhabit detritus-rich wetlands across the Nearctic and Palearctic regions.
Gyrininae
whirligig beetles, gyrinine beetles
Gyrininae is the largest subfamily of Gyrinidae, containing over 740 described extant species. These beetles are commonly known as whirligig beetles for their characteristic circling behavior on water surfaces. The subfamily comprises three tribes: Dineutini, Gyrinini, and Orectochilini, with genera distributed across all major biogeographic regions. Members occupy diverse freshwater habitats from lentic to lotic systems.
Homoeoneuria
brushleg mayflies
Homoeoneuria is a genus of brushleg mayflies in the family Oligoneuriidae, established by Eaton in 1881. The genus contains at least five described species, with confirmed records in North America (including the type species H. salviniae) and South America (Brazil, Peru, Argentina, and Colombia). A new species, H. (H.) watu, was described from Southeastern Brazil based on distinctive adult and nymphal morphological characters. The genus is poorly documented in northern South America, with recent confirmations extending its known range.
Hydrochidae
Elongate Water Scavenger Beetles
Hydrochidae is a family of aquatic beetles in the order Coleoptera, containing a single genus Hydrochus with approximately 180–200+ species worldwide. These small elongate water scavenger beetles are found in freshwater habitats across multiple continents including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The family is sometimes treated as the subfamily Hydrochinae within Hydrophilidae. Species-level taxonomy is well-developed, with recent revisions documenting substantial diversity in Central America (26 species), South America (77 species in Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay alone), and the Mediterranean region.
Hydrophilinae
water scavenger beetles
Hydrophilinae is the largest subfamily of water scavenger beetles (family Hydrophilidae), containing approximately 1852 species in 61 genera and 8 tribes. The subfamily was revised by Short and Fikáček in 2013, which recognized five tribes: Amphiopini, Berosini, Hydrobiusini, Hydrophilini, and Laccobiini. Members are predominantly aquatic beetles found across diverse geographic regions including the Neotropics and Asia. Some genera represent ancient, possibly relict lineages with unusual morphological character combinations.
Hydroporus
Hydroporus is a genus of small diving beetles (family Dytiscidae) with approximately 180 described species worldwide. The genus exhibits substantial morphological diversity organized into multiple species groups, including the longiusculus-group, longulus-group, memnonius-group, and nigellus-group. Members occur across the Palearctic, Nearctic, Near East, and North Africa. Several species complexes within the genus show convergent adaptations to specialized habitats, including semi-subterranean environments.
Laccobiini
Laccobiini is a tribe of aquatic beetles within the family Hydrophilidae, containing 367 species distributed across 8 genera. Members are small to minute water scavenger beetles occupying diverse freshwater habitats across multiple continents. The tribe includes the well-known genus Laccobius and the hygropetric-specialist genus Oocyclus.
Lara
Lara is a genus of beetles in the family Elmidae, commonly known as riffle beetles. The genus was established by John Lawrence LeConte in 1852. Members of this genus are aquatic beetles associated with flowing water habitats. The genus is classified within the subfamily Larainae, which contains other genera of similar aquatic beetles.
Perlodinae
Springflies
Perlodinae is a subfamily of stoneflies in the family Perlodidae, first described by Klapálek in 1909. The subfamily comprises at least 20 genera and approximately 60 described species. Perlodinae is distributed across Asia and other regions, with notable diversity in China. The tribal classification within Perlodinae remains under discussion, with three recognized tribes but ongoing questions about their validity.
Plateumarini
Plateumarini is a tribe of leaf beetles within the subfamily Donaciinae, established by Böving in 1922. Members of this tribe are aquatic or semi-aquatic beetles associated with freshwater habitats. The tribe is distinguished from the related tribe Donaciini by morphological features of the larval stage, particularly in the structure of the respiratory siphon. Plateumarini contains the genus Plateumaris, which is the primary genus in this group.
Shipsa rotunda
Intrepid Forestfly
Shipsa rotunda is a Nearctic stonefly species in the family Nemouridae with an extensive distribution across Canada and the United States. Despite its wide geographic range, the species exhibits remarkably little morphological variation in both males and females. Reproductive terminalia have been examined using scanning electron microscopy from specimens across its range, revealing consistent structural features. The species was originally described as Nemoura rotunda by Claassen in 1923 and later transferred to the genus Shipsa.
Siphlonuridae
primitive minnow mayfly
Siphlonuridae, commonly called primitive minnow mayflies, is a family of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) characterized by morphological traits considered ancestral within the order. Members are adapted to cool waters and occur across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The family includes approximately six extant genera: Ameletoides, Edmundsius, Parameletus, Siphlonisca, Siphlonurus, and the former genus Metretopus (now sometimes placed in Siphlonuridae). Nymphs inhabit diverse freshwater habitats including temporary ponds, streams, and floodplains, with habitat preferences often shifting during ontogeny.
Stratiomyinae
Stratiomyinae is a subfamily of soldier flies (family Stratiomyidae) containing approximately 40 genera arranged in three tribes: Oxycerini, Prosopochrysini, and Stratiomyini. Members are distinguished by larvae that are aquatic or semi-aquatic, a trait that separates them from many other stratiomyid subfamilies. Adults often exhibit striking eye patterns with horizontal banding, which has been linked to polarization vision potentially used for locating water surfaces for mating and oviposition. The subfamily has a cosmopolitan distribution with significant diversity in both Nearctic and Neotropical regions.