''Sphaeridium'' is a genus of

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

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. 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'', the face fly or autumn housefly, is a pest of cattle and horses. Description The face fly is similar to the closely related housefly but is slightly larger, averaging about 7–8 mm long and grey in colour with four ...

(''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 species, introduced to North America.Hanski, I. (1980)The three coexisting species of ''Sp ...

'' (Klug, 1833) *'' Sphaeridium circumcinctum'' Régimbart, 1907 *'' Sphaeridium corradinii'' Marcuzzi, 1941 *'' Sphaeridium daemonicum'' Fikáček & Kropáček, 2015 *'' Sphaeridium densepunctatum'' 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'' 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'' 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 ''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 ...

'' 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