''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

s in the family

Hydrophilidae Hydrophilidae, also known colloquially as water scavenger beetles, is a family of beetles. Aquatic hydrophilids are notable for their long maxillary palps, which are longer than their antennae. Several of the former subfamilies of Hydrophilidae ...

, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)
The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae).
''Ann. Entomol. Fenn'' 46, 39-48.

Description

The adults are 4 to 7.5 millimeters long. They have short antennae with hairy clubs at the tips. These beetles live in

cow dung Cow dung, also known as cow pats, cow poop or cow manure, is the waste product (faeces) of bovine animal species. These species include domestic cattle ("cows"), bison ("buffalo"), yak, and water buffalo. Cow dung is the undigested residue of p ...

. The adults feed on the dung and other organic matter, but the beetle larvae are predators of the maggots of the flies that breed in the dung, such as the face fly (''Musca autumnalis''). Two or more ''Sphaeridium'' beetle species may coexist in one pat, and the larvae may feed on each other. The female beetle deposits several eggs encased in a cocoon.Sowig, P. (1997)
Predation among ''Sphaeridium'' larvae: the role of starvation and size differences (Coleoptera Hydrophilidae).
''Ethology Ecology & Evolution'' 9(3), 241-251.

Species

Species include:''Sphaeridium''.
Fauna Europaea. Version 2.6.2. *'' Sphaeridium abbreviatum'' Boheman, 1851 *'' Sphaeridium abditum'' Orchymont, 1943 *'' Sphaeridium abductum'' J.Balfour-Browne, 1950 *'' Sphaeridium affine'' Berge Henegouwen, 1987 *''

Sphaeridium aschenborni ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleop ...

'' Berge Henegouwen, 1992 *'' Sphaeridium balfourbrownei'' M.Hansen, 1999 *'' Sphaeridium bipunctatum'' Thunberg, 1794 *'' Sphaeridium bipustulatum'' Fabricius, 1781 *'' Sphaeridium bisinuatum'' J.Balfour-Browne, 1950 *'' Sphaeridium bottegoi'' Marcuzzi, 1941 *'' Sphaeridium braziliense'' Berge Henegouwen, 1986 *'' Sphaeridium caffrum'' Laporte de Castelnau, 1840 *''

Sphaeridium chrysomelinum ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleop ...

'' (Klug, 1833) *''

Sphaeridium circumcinctum ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleop ...

'' Régimbart, 1907 *''

Sphaeridium corradinii ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleop ...

'' Marcuzzi, 1941 *''

Sphaeridium daemonicum ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleop ...

'' Fikáček & Kropáček, 2015 *''

Sphaeridium densepunctatum ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleop ...

'' Berlov & Shatrovskiy, 1989 *''

Sphaeridium dimidiatum ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleop ...

'' Gory, 1834 *'' Sphaeridium discolor'' Orchymont, 1933 *'' Sphaeridium dolum'' J.Balfour-Browne, 1950 *'' Sphaeridium exile'' Boheman, 1851 *'' Sphaeridium eximium'' Berge Henegouwen, 1992 *'' Sphaeridium fallaciosum'' J.Balfour-Browne, 1950 *'' Sphaeridium flavomaculatum'' Orchymont, 1924 *'' Sphaeridium huijbregtsi'' Berge Henegouwen, 1986 *''

Sphaeridium inopinatum ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sphaeridium'' (Coleop ...

'' J.Balfour-Browne, 1958 *'' Sphaeridium inquinatum'' Kugelann, 1798 *'' Sphaeridium jongemai'' Berge Henegouwen, 1987 *'' Sphaeridium kolleri'' Orchymont, 1925 *''

Sphaeridium lunatum ''Sphaeridium lunatum'' is a species of water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China) and North America. References Further reading * External links

* Hydrophilidae ...

'' Fabricius, 1792 *'' Sphaeridium marginatum'' Fabricius, 1787 *''

Sphaeridium melanarium ''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, the water scavenger beetles. They occur in Europe, and some species have been introduced species, introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sp ...

'' Gistel, 1831 *'' Sphaeridium ornatum'' Boheman, 1851 *'' Sphaeridium ortivum'' Orchymont, 1943 *'' Sphaeridium pellucidum'' Rossi, 1794 *'' Sphaeridium plagiatum'' Thunberg, 1794 *'' Sphaeridium punctiforme'' Schrank, 1798 *'' Sphaeridium quinquemaculatum'' Fabricius, 1798 *'' Sphaeridium rubrum'' Thunberg, 1794 *'' Sphaeridium ruficolle'' Frolich, 1792 *'' Sphaeridium rufipes'' Schrank, 1785 *'' Sphaeridium scarabaeoides'' (Linnaeus, 1758) *'' Sphaeridium senegalense'' Laporte de Castelnau, 1840 *'' Sphaeridium seriatum'' Orchymont, 1913 *'' Sphaeridium severini'' Orchymont, 1919 *'' Sphaeridium sigillum'' Orchymont, 1943 *'' Sphaeridium simplicipes'' Marcuzzi, 1941 *'' Sphaeridium substriatum'' Faldermann, 1838 *'' Sphaeridium testudineum'' Rossi, 1794 *'' Sphaeridium thomsoni'' Orchymont, 1919 *'' Sphaeridium vaccarium'' Kugelann, 1798 *'' Sphaeridium vitalisi'' Orchymont, 1925 *'' Sphaeridium weiri'' Berge Henegouwen, 1992