Sphaerius
Shore ball beetle ( Sphaerius acaroides )
The ball beetle ( Sphaeriusidae, formerly Microsporidae ) are a family of beetles dar. of them are far from the northern hemisphere, Madagascar and Australia, 23 species in a single genus, Sphaerius or microsporus, known, of which three species of shore ball beetle ( Sphaerius acaroides ), pp. hispanicus and S. spississimus also occur in Europe. As a ball beetle also the hump beetle ( Gibbium psylloides ) and the brass beetle ( Niptus hololeucus ) are called in pest control literature often. However, these belong to the family of the thief beetle ( Ptinidae ). Name similarity has eg also the Southern Ivy Ball beetle ( Clithostethus arcuatus ) from the family of ladybirds ( Coccinellidae ).
Features
The beetles are only 0.5 to 1.2 mm long and have a very globose - oval body. They are dyed black or dark brown and shiny. Their antennae are short and elfgliedrig, their end is thickened club-shaped. The large labrum covers the mandibles. The membranous hind wings are reduced depending on the type well trained up and fringed at the end.
The larvae are about two millimeters long. The eight tracheae of the abdominal segments form characteristic protuberances.
Way of life
Imagines and larvae live in mud and gravel along the banks of streams and rivers. They feed on algae, probably even dead plant material. Among the elytra the Imagines carry an air supply. The females lay only a single large egg.
Species
- Shore ball beetle ( Sphaerius acaroides )
- Sphaerius africanus
- Sphaerius alticola
- Sphaerius coenensis
- Sphaerius coomani
- Sphaerius cribratus
- Sphaerius favosus
- Sphaerius gustavlohsei
- Sphaerius hispanicus
- Sphaerius humicola
- Sphaerius laeviventris
- Sphaerius madecassus
- Sphaerius politus
- Sphaerius obsoletus
- Sphaerius ovensensis
- Sphaerius papulosus
- Sphaerius perlaevis
- Sphaerius scutellaris
- Sphaerius silvicola
- Sphaerius spississimus
- Sphaerius tesselatus
- Sphaerius texanus
- Sphaerius tropicus