|
Order Coleoptera
Superfamily Hydrophiloidea
49,431 |
Spercheidae |
Georissidae (minute mud-loving beetles) |
Hydrophilidae |
The minute mud-loving beetles (Georissidae) are a small family of very small-sized beetles with 77 known species classified into the only genus Georissus. The representatives of the genus occur in all zoogeographical regions, with the highest diversity in the Old World tropics. They are of oval body shape and have a sculptured surface. They live on muddy ground, often on edges of ponds. In most cases, the elytra are covered with mud. However, this mud is usually dry, opposite to the wet ground. Therefore, with patient observation, the animals can be discovered as tiny "mud crumbs", walking around on the wet ground. The Larvae are predaceous, preying on larval Diptera and Nematoda. Adults are saprophagous, feeding most probably on decaying organic particles found in the mud. |
World: 77 |
Europe: 5 |
Germany: 3 |
collected: 1
|
fraction: 33% |
|
Color of pronotum or elytra, total or partial, also metallic shine
|