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 (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.Watson, L. and Dallwitz, M. J. Sphaeridium. British Insects: Water Beetles. Version: 18 September 2012.
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). 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 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 (Klug, 1833) Sphaeridium circumcinctum Régimbart, 1907 Sphaeridium corradinii Marcuzzi, 1941 Sphaeridium daemonicum Fikáček & Kropáček, 2015 Sphaeridium densepunctatum Berlov & Shatrovskiy, 1989 Sphaeridium dimidiatum 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 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 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
References
Further reading Otronen, M., & Hanski, I. (1983). Movement patterns in Sphaeridium: differences between species, sexes, and feeding and breeding individuals. Journal of Animal Ecology 52, 663-680.