The Family Atlas |
| Processing Status: | ||
| 25 / 26 | 96% | |
| Size of Species: 2.2 - 9.0 mm |
| Tarsal Formula: 5-5-5 |
The Helophoridae are small to medium-sized beetles of the superfamily Hydrophiloidea, represented by a single extant genus, Helophorus. Members of the family are found primarily in the Holarctic region, i.e. in Europe, Asia and North America; a smaller number of species also live in Africa and Asia south of the Palearctic. A typical characteristic is an oblong-oval body, which is often matt to finely hairy and usually brown, grey-brown or blackish in colour, and a conspicuously structured pronotum, usually featuring a distinctive pattern of longitudinal, wavy or straight grooves not found in any other related group. Most adults live in shallow, still waters, particularly in temporary pools, puddles, springs, marshes and at the edges of small water bodies; however, some species are semi-aquatic or entirely terrestrial and live, for example, in damp moss, peat bogs or in periodically flooded habitats. Adults mostly feed on algae, detritus and decaying plant matter, whilst the larvae live on land in the immediate vicinity of water and are predominantly carnivorous. There are, however, exceptions where the larvae are also phytophagous. The family has a rich fossil record dating back to the Jurassic.
Number of Species:
| World | 210 | |
| Palaearctic Region | 157 |
| Europe | 90 | |
| Central Europe | 36 |
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Family Card |
Helophoridae (Leach, 1815) |
