Hydraenidae

Ochthebius sp., copyright Guy A. Hanley.

Belongs within: Staphylinoidea.

The Hydraenidae are a group of small beetles generally characterised by maxillary palps as long as or longer than their antennae with the antennae usually bearing a five-segmented club. Adults and larvae mostly graze on micro-algae and other organic matter on wet surfaces.

Characters (from Lawrence & Britton 1991): Small with relatively inconspicuous antennae, often concealed within grooves beneath head and cavities between prostemum and pronotal hypomera, and well-developed maxillary palps which may be as long as or longer than antennae; antennae eight- or nine-segmented with five- or six-segmented club, segment preceding club usually forming cupule; fore coxae transverse or globular, trochantins exposed, fore coxal cavities externally and internally open or closed; mid coxal cavities narrowly to moderately separated, laterally open; tarsi pentamerous or tetramerous; abdomen with six or seven ventrites, none connate. Larvae usually elongate, campodeiform, with well-developed legs, articulated urogomphi, and pair of hooks on segment 10.

Hydraenidae [Limnebiidae]
    |  i. s.: Ochtebiites minor Ponomarenko 1985 RJ93
    |--Hydraeninae B14
    |    |--Limnebiini P01
    |    |    |--Laeliaena Sahlberg 1900 P01
    |    |    `--Limnebius Leach 1915 P01
    |    |         |--L. discolor P01
    |    |         `--L. piceus P01
    |    `--Hydraenini P01
    |         |--Adelphydraena P01
    |         `--Hydraena Kugelann 1794 P01
    |              |  i. s.: H. anisonycha Perkins 1980 B14
    |              |         H. luridipennis LB91
    |              |         H. riparia L02
    |              `--H. (Hydraena) F05
    |                   |--H. (H.) gavarrensis Jäch, Díaz & Martinoy 2005 F05
    |                   `--H. (H.) marinae Castro 2004 F05
    `--Ochthebiinae B14
         |  i. s.: Tympanogaster LB91
         |         Hughleechia giulianii LB91
         |         Meropathus zealandicus Ordish 1984 LB91, E02
         `--Ochthebiini P01
              |--Neochthebius Orchymont 1932 P01
              |    `--N. vandykei P01
              |--Enicocerus Stephens 1829 P01
              |    `--E. benefossus P01
              |--Gymnochthebius Orchymont 1943 P01
              |    |--G. laevipennis P01
              |    |--G. maureenae P01
              |    `--G. nitidus P01
              `--Ochthebius Leach 1815 P01
                   |--O. arenicolus P01
                   |--O. aztecus Sharp 1887 B14
                   |--O. bisinuatus P01
                   |--O. californicus P01
                   |--O. discretus P01
                   |--O. gruwelli P01
                   |--O. lejolisi PP64
                   |--O. lineatus P01
                   |--O. marinus [=Elophorus marinus] G89
                   |--O. puncticollis P01
                   `--O. subinteger PP64

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B14] Bouchard, P. (ed.) 2014. The Book of Beetles: A lifesize guide to six hundred of nature's gems. Ivy Press: Lewes (United Kingdom).

[E02] Emberson, R. M. 2002. The beetle (Coleoptera) fauna of the Chatham Islands: additions and corrections. New Zealand Entomologist 25: 69–77.

[F05] Fernández, J. 2005. Noticia de nuevos táxones para la ciencia en el ámbito Íbero-Balear y Macaronésico. Nuevos táxones animales descritos en la península Ibérica y Macaronesia desde 1994 (IX). Graellsia 61 (2): 261–282.

[G89] Gestro, R. 1889. Viaggio ab Assab nel Mar Rosso dei signori G. Doria ed O. Beccari con il R. Avviso “Esploratore” dal 16 Novembre 1879 al 26 Febbraio 1880.—IV. Coleotteri. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie 2^a, 7: 5–72.

[L02] Latreille, P. A. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière des crustacés et des insectes vol. 3. Familles naturelles des genres. F. Dufart: Paris.

[LB91] Lawrence, J. F., & E. B. Britton. 1991. Coleoptera (beetles). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 543–683. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[PP64] Peres, J. M., & J. Picard. 1964. Nouveau manuel de bionomie benthique de la mer Mediterranee. Recueil des Travaux de la Station Marine d'Endoume, Bulletin 31 (27): 5–137.

[P01] Perkins, P. D. 2001. Hydraenidae Mulsant, 1844. In: Arnett, R. H., Jr & M. C. Thomas (eds) American Beetles vol. 1. Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia pp. 228–232. CRC Press: Boca Raton.

[RJ93] Ross, A. J., & E. A. Jarzembowski. 1993. Arthropoda (Hexapoda; Insecta). In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 363–426. Chapman & Hall: London.

Last updated: 13 December 2020.