Histerid
Guides
Aeletes
clown beetles
Aeletes is a genus of clown beetles in the family Histeridae, established by Horn in 1873. The genus contains more than 80 described species. These beetles belong to the subfamily Abraeinae and tribe Acritini. Species in this genus are small histerid beetles with limited documented ecological information.
Eblisia
Eblisia is a genus of histerid beetles established by Lewis in 1889. The genus contains at least two described species and has been recorded across multiple continents, suggesting a broad geographic range. Members belong to the tribe Platysomatini within the subfamily Histerinae.
Hypocacculus metallescens
clown beetle
Hypocacculus metallescens is a small histerid beetle first described from Europe in 1834. The species has a broad Old World distribution spanning the Mediterranean basin, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, with introduced populations established in Florida, USA. As a member of the clown beetle family Histeridae, it likely occupies habitats associated with decaying organic matter.
Hypocaccus estriatus
clown beetle
Hypocaccus estriatus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1857. The species is native to western North America, with documented occurrences in Canada and the western United States. Like other histerid beetles, it is presumed to be associated with decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Margarinotus confusus
Margarinotus confusus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae. It was described by Wenzel in 1944. The species is found in North America, with distribution records from Canada and the northeastern and midwestern United States.
Onthophilus alternatus
clown beetle
Onthophilus alternatus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, described by Thomas Say in 1825. It is one of approximately 4,000 extant species in a family with a fossil record extending back at least 99 million years. The genus Onthophilus has a close Cretaceous relative, Cretonthophilus tuberculatus, preserved in Burmese amber, providing evidence of long-term morphological stability in this lineage.
Onthophilus deflectus
clown beetle
Onthophilus deflectus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by Helava in 1978. It belongs to a genus of small, compact beetles often associated with decaying organic matter. The species is known from scattered records across eastern and central North America.
Paromalus
Paromalus is a genus of clown beetles in the family Histeridae, first described by Erichson in 1834. The genus comprises at least 60 described species distributed across multiple continents. These beetles are members of the subfamily Dendrophilinae and tribe Paromalini. They are small to medium-sized histerid beetles associated with various decaying organic substrates.
Paromalus durangoensis
clown beetle
Paromalus durangoensis is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae. It is known from Mexico and Central America. Like other histerid beetles, it likely inhabits decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Phelister panamensis
A histerid beetle in the P. panamensis species group, widely distributed across the Americas from the United States to Argentina. Frequently found in cattle dung, with distribution likely expanded through association with domestic cattle. The species group is defined by unique hooks on the apex of the male 8th sternite.
Pseudepierus gentilis
clown beetle
Pseudepierus gentilis is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by Horn in 1883. It belongs to the subfamily Tribalinae and is known from scattered records across the central and southern United States. Like other histerid beetles, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and wood-boring insect habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Psiloscelis
Psiloscelis is a genus of clown beetles in the family Histeridae, established by Marseul in 1854. The genus contains approximately eight described species distributed in North America. Species in this genus are characterized by their association with carrion and decaying organic matter. The genus is taxonomically stable with no synonymy reported.
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.