Microbeetle
Guides
Brachyglutini
Brachyglutini is a tribe of rove beetles in the subfamily Pselaphinae (family Staphylinidae). These beetles are minute, typically measuring 1–2 mm in length, and exhibit the characteristic compact body form and reduced elytra typical of pselaphine rove beetles. The tribe was established by Raffray in 1904 and contains numerous genera distributed across multiple continents. Members of this tribe are primarily found in forest litter and soil habitats where they function as micro-predators or scavengers.
Cephennium aridum
Cephennium aridum is a species of minute rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Scydmaeninae. It was described in 2009 from California and is distinguished by its association with arid habitats. The specific epithet "aridum" refers to the dry conditions of its type locality. Members of this genus are among the smallest beetles, often less than 2 mm in length.
Chaetarthria nigrella
Chaetarthria nigrella is a minute water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae. It is one of the smallest members of its family, typically measuring only 1-2 millimeters in length. The species belongs to the subfamily Chaetarthriinae, a group of tiny beetles often associated with moist or aquatic microhabitats. Very few observations exist for this species, with only three records documented on iNaturalist, suggesting it is either genuinely rare, undercollected, or difficult to detect due to its minute size.
Clypastraea fasciata
minute hooded beetle
Clypastraea fasciata is a species of minute hooded beetle in the family Corylophidae. Adults measure approximately 2 mm in length. The species occurs in North America, with records from Canada (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario) and the United States. Like other members of its genus, it is associated with fungi and mold in rotting wood and under bark on dead trees.
Clypastraea lugubris
minute hooded beetle
Clypastraea lugubris is a species of minute hooded beetle in the family Corylophidae. It is one of the smallest beetles in North America, measuring approximately 2 millimeters in length. The species is found across much of North America, with records from Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba) and the United States. It belongs to a family commonly known as minute hooded beetles or minute fungus beetles, characterized by a distinctive shelf-like projection of the pronotum that conceals the head.
Corticarina minuta
Minute plaster beetle
Corticarina minuta is a minute beetle in the family Latridiidae, commonly known as plaster beetles. The species was described by Fabricius in 1792 and is among the smallest beetles in this family, typically measuring less than 2 mm in length. It is associated with damp, moldy environments where it feeds on fungal growth. The species has been recorded across parts of Europe including Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Euconnus montanus
Euconnus montanus is a species of minute rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Scydmaeninae. The species was described in 2021 by Stephan & O'Keefe. Scydmaenine beetles are commonly known as ant-like stone beetles due to their small size and compact body form. Members of the genus Euconnus are among the smallest beetles, typically measuring less than 2 mm in length.
Euplectitae
Euplectitae is a supertribe of minute rove beetles (Staphylinidae) classified within the ant-associated subfamily Pselaphinae. The group contains at least 20 genera and approximately 30 described species. Members of this supertribe are characterized by their small body size and morphological adaptations associated with myrmecophily—living in close association with ant colonies.
Euplectus acomanus
Euplectus acomanus is a minute rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) described by Casey in 1908. It belongs to the tribe Euplectini, a group of small, often myrmecophilous beetles characterized by compact bodies and reduced elytra. The species has been recorded across eastern North America and the southwestern United States, with scattered Canadian occurrences. Like other pselaphines, it likely inhabits moist leaf litter and soil microhabitats.
Hydroscapha redfordi
Hydroscapha redfordi is a species of skiff beetle in the family Hydroscaphidae, described in 2010 from specimens collected in the southwestern United States. The species is named in honor of actor and conservationist Robert Redford. Members of this genus are among the smallest beetles, inhabiting thin water films on rocks in streams and waterfalls.
Scalenarthrus
Scalenarthrus is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. First described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1880, it belongs to the tribe Brachyglutini. Members of this genus are small, cryptic beetles characteristic of the ant-loving beetle group (Pselaphinae), which are primarily found in soil and leaf litter habitats.
Sphaerius
Sphaerius is a genus of minute beetles in the family Sphaeriusidae, comprising 18 extant species. These beetles are among the smallest in Coleoptera, measuring 0.5–1.2 mm in length. They inhabit damp environments near water bodies across all continents except Antarctica. The genus has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with its family name changing from Sphaeriidae to Microsporidae and finally to Sphaeriusidae.