Shoreline-insects
Guides
Heteroceridae
Variegated Mud-loving Beetles
Heteroceridae, commonly known as variegated mud-loving beetles, are a family of small, dorsoventrally depressed beetles inhabiting shorelines worldwide. Approximately 250 species are recognized globally, with highest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions. The family exhibits remarkable phenotypic uniformity in external morphology, making species identification difficult without examination of male genitalia. These beetles construct shallow tunnels in damp soils and have been documented on every continent except Antarctica.