Myxophaga
Guides
Hydroscaphidae
skiff beetles
Hydroscaphidae is a small family of water beetles in the suborder Myxophaga, commonly known as skiff beetles. The family contains approximately 23 species as of 2010, distributed across four genera. These beetles are highly specialized for life in thin films of water over algal surfaces.
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.
Sphaeriusidae
Minute Bog Beetles
Sphaeriusidae is a family of minute myxophagan beetles (Coleoptera: Myxophaga) known as living fossils due to their exceptional morphological conservatism spanning at least 100 million years. The family contains three genera: the extinct †Burmasporum, the newly defined Bezesporum (known from both Burmese amber and extant Southeast Asian fauna), and Sphaerius, which has worldwide distribution. These beetles are characterized by miniaturized, shiny, blackish, hemispherical bodies and specialized riparian habits. Their species diversity and fine-scale morphological variation have been historically underestimated due to their small size and cryptic habits.