Scirtidae
The taxonomy of the North American Scirtidae has been revised by Gimmel, M.L. & Epler, J.H. 2024. Catalog of the Scirtidae of America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Scirtoidea), with taxonomic and distributional notes. The Coleopterists Bulletin 78: 319-334; paper is available on my publications page.
6-ix-2024
Gyrinidae
I have been too slow in getting out a corrected version of page 7.7 in the Gyrinidae chapter. The updated version now includes Dineutus shorti in the key, and notes concerning the species in Florida. This species was described in 2015, and I added it to the checklist for Florida, but I've been unable to get to it until recently. Click here for the updated pages.
3-ix-2024
Dytiscidae
The Cybistrinae have been revised and the sole Florida species in the genus Megadytes has been moved to the genus Metaxydytes. Thus we now have Metaxydytes fraternus (Sharp). See: Miller, KB, M.C. Michat & N. Ferreira Jr. 2024. Reclassification of Cybistrinae Sharp, 1880 in the Neotropical Region (Coleoptera, Adephaga, Dytiscidae), with the description of new taxa. Zookeys 1188: 125-168.
16-vii-2024
Two recent publications necessitate updating the species list for Florida once again.
Miller, K.B. 2005. Revision of the New World and south-east Asian Vatellini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae) and phylogenetic analysis of the tribe. Zool. J. Linnean Soc. 144: 415-510. This paper reinstates Derovatellus floridanus as a full species.
Bergsten, J. & K.B. Miller. 2005. Taxonomic revision of the Holarctic diving beetle genus Acilius Leach (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). Sys. Ent. 31: 145-197. One new species, A. confusus Bergsten, is described from the northeast US; it was recorded from as far south as South Carolina. I have a male and female of this species from Little Dry Creek in Jackson County.
13-iii-2006
p. 12.47-12.48 - Hydrophilus ensifer reported for Florida. See: Pintar, M.R. & Keller, J.L. 2020. First record of Hydrophilus ensifer Brullé (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) in the continental United States. The Coleopterists Bulletin 74: 696-698.
28-xii-2020
5.116 - Uvarus sp. 1 has been described as Uvarus sinofelihelianthus Epler. See Epler, J.H. 2020. A new species of Uvarus Guignot, 1939 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini) from Florida, USA. Insecta Mundi 0752: 1-4.
28-ii-2020
p. 12.40 - Helocombus is now considered to be part of Cymbiodyta. See Toussaint, E.F.A. & Short, A.E.Z. 2019. Historical biogeography of Holarctic Cymbiodyta water scavenger beetles in the times of Cenozoic land bridge dispersal routes. Insect Systematics and Diversity 3: 1-7.
13-i-2020
p. 16.17 - Prionocyphon limbatus LeConte has been collected from FL. Three specimens were collected at Tall Timbers Research Station in Leon Co. in 1993 (material from FSCA)
p. 12.42 - Hydrobius tumidus is now Limnohydrobius tumidus (LeConte). See Short, A.E.Z., Cole, J. & Toussaint, E.F.A. 2017. Phylogeny, classification and evolution of the water scavenger beetle tribe Hydrobiusini inferred from morphology and molecules (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Systematic Entomology 42: 677-691. Of the other two species of Hydrobius mentioned on p. 12.42 of my FL water beetle manual, melaenus (Germar) is also now placed in Limnohydrobius; H. fuscipes (L.) remains in Hydrobius.
17-x-2017
p. 5.111 - The species formerly known as Rhantus calidus (Fabricius) is now placed in the new genus Meridiorhantus. Thus it is now known as Meridiorhantus calidus (Fabricius). See Balke, M, Hájek, J & Hendrich, L. 2017. Generic reclassification of species formerly included in Rhantus Dejean (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Colymbetinae). Zootaxa 4258: 91-100.
12-v-2017
p. 13.11 - Pronoterus has been synonymized with Suphisellus. See Baca, S.M, Toussaint, E.F.A., Miller, K.B. & Short, A.E.Z. 2017. Molecular phylogeny of the aquatic beetle family Noteridae (Coleoptera: Adephaga) with an emphasis on data partitioning strategies. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 107: 282-292. Thus our single species of this former genus is now Suphisellus semipunctatus (LeConte).
10-iii-2017
pp. 6.6.15, 6.17 - Promoresia has been synonymized with Optioservus. See Kamite, Y. 2016. Revision of the genus Optioservus Sanderson, 1953, part 3: The O. elegans species group. Koleopterologische Rundschau 86: 205-212. Thus we now have two species of Optioservus recorded from Florida: O. ovalis (LeConte) and O. tardellus (Fall).
27-xii-2016
pp. 11.1-11.9 - The species of Hydrochus have been reviewed for Mississippi (Worthington, R.J., Hellman, J.L. & Lago, P.K. 2016. Hydrochidae (Coleoptera) of Mississippi. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 142: 167-213. As a result, several of my letter-designated taxa now have "real" names. H. sp 1 = H. falsus Hellman; H. sp. 2 = H. jiawanae Makhan; H. sp. 5 = H. pajnii Makhan; H. sp. 6 = H. schereri Makhan; H. sp. 8 = H. jaechi Makhan.
23-xii-2016
pp. 5.61; 5.110 - Prodaticus has been reduced to subgeneric status within Hydaticus. Thus our most common species is now Hydaticus (Prodaticus) bimarginatus. See Miller & Bergsten. 2016. Diving Beetles of the World. Systematics and Biology of the Dytiscidae. Johns Hopkins University Press. 320 pp.
10-xi-2016
p. 5.73-5.74 - Coelambus Thomson has been reinstated as a full genus. Thus two species previously placed in Hygrotus are now in Coelambus: C. berneri (Young & Wolfe) and C. nubilus (LeConte). Note also that "nubilus" was misspelled in the manual. See Miller, K.B. & Bergsten, J. 2016. Diving Beetles of the World. Systematics and Biology of the Dytiscidae. Johns Hopkins University Press. 320 pp.
6-xi-2016
p. 1.16 - There's a typo in the first part of couplet 14 leading to Ptilodactylidae. The last phrase should read "antennal segments 1 and 2 long, 3 very short". Thanks to Doug Strom for informing me of my lack of typing skills!
p. 5.78 - The genus Laccomimus has been established by Toledo & Michat. This genus replaces Laccodytes Régimbart for the single species known from Florida, now known as Laccomimus pumilio (LeConte). See Toledo, M. & Michat, M. 2015. Description of Laccomimus gen. n. and eleven new species from the Neotropical region (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Laccophilinae). Zootaxa 3990: 301-354.
30-vii-2015
pp. 12.8; 12.16, 12.17 - Crenitulus has been considered a synonym of Anacaena for some time, but was recently reinstated as a full genus by Fikáček & Vondráček (2014). Thus Anacaena suturalis (LeConte) becomes Crenitulus suturalis (LeConte). Anacaena limbata remains the same, and is still unknown from Florida. For more information and a corrected key separating the larvae of Anacaena, Crenitulus and Paracymus download this addendum.
9-iii-2015
pp. 16.6-16.13 - Most species of Cyphon from Florida are now placed in Contacyphon. See Zwick, P., Klausnitzer, B. & Ruta, R. 2013. Contacyphon Gozis, 1886 removed from synonymy (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) to accommodate species so far combined with the invalid name, Cyphon Paykull, 1799. Entomologische Blätter und Coleoptera 109: 337-353. Note also that species from the "Cyphon collaris complex" (none known to date from Florida) are now placed in the genus Nyholmia. See Klausnitzer, B. 2013. Monophyletische Artengruppe der ehemaligen Gattung Cyphon Paykull, 1799 und Beschreibung von neuen Gattungen (Coleoptera, Scirtidae). Entomologische Nachrichten und Berichte 57: 255-262.
8-i-2014
pp. 12.6, 12.30 - On p. 12.6 in the key for larval hydrophilids, the third statement in couplet 12 leading to Enochrus should read "LEFT mandible with one inner tooth, RIGHT with two inner teeth". The figures are oriented correctly. In the diagnosis for larvae on p. 12.30, the same mistake was repeated. It is the right mandible that bears two inner teeth; the left mandible bears one inner tooth. I wonder why it took so long to find this boo-boo??
27-v-2013
p. 16.52 - Ora discoidea Champion has been found in Florida (Collier Co., Immokalee); it will key to O. texana but is marked differently.
It can be either mostly tan above or have mostly dark elytra with a wide pale border, as in the Florida specimen here.
Thanks to Mike Thomas (FSCA) for the photo!
28-xii-2012
pp. 16.22-16.23 - Scirtes goliai Epler described, replaces Scirtes sp. 1. See Epler, J.H. 2012. A new species of Scirtes (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) from southern Florida and the Caribbean. Zootaxa 3530: 77-82.
pp. 5.38, 18.2, 18.7 - parentheses removed from author name for Celina grossula - should be Celina grossula LeConte. I had followed an error in Young (1979) by placing "LeConte" in parentheses. Because LeConte originally described the species grossula in the genus Celina, there are no parentheses around his name.20-x-2012
pp. 3.1, 3.7 - To reiterate about the spelling of the name of the weevil Auleutes, it's Auleutes, not Aleutes or Auletes.
27-vi-2012
p. 5.38, 5.39, 5.41 - Celina slossonae changed back to its original spelling - call it Celina slossoni ... again. Note that even though Mutchler misspelled it as "slossoni" (which is incorrect; because the species was named for a woman, it should have been "slossonae"), Article 33.4 of the ICZN states that such a change is to be termed an "incorrect subsequent spelling".
14-iv-2012
p. 5.92 - the captions for the two beetles are switched; N. p. pullus is on the left, N. p. floridanus on the right! Thanks to Dana Denson (RCID) for catching this!
6-vii-2011
p. 5.26 - The genus Stictotarsus is not known from Florida. Because it is recorded from South Carolina and there is thus a possibility it may occur here, I included the genus, represented by the widespread taxon S. griseostriatus (De Geer), in my key to genera of dytiscid adults (p. 5.26) of Florida.
It has long been known that the taxon is notable for its variation and is most likely a complex of species, especially in Europe. Now this taxon has been established as a new genus, Boreonectes (Angus, R.B. 2010. Boreonectes gen. n., a new genus for the Stictotarsus griseostriatus (De Geer) group of sibling species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), with additional karyosystematic data on the group. Comparative Cytogenetics 4: 123-131). Thus, the species’ name is now Boreonectes griseostriatus (De Geer). Given the variability of this taxon, it is most likely that at least one of the “variants” known from North America actually represents an undescribed species, so stay tuned.
Also note that some other Nearctic Stictotarsus are now included in Boreonectes. These are: B. aequinoctialis (Clark), B. coelamboides (Fall), B. dolerosus (Leech), B. expositus (Fall), B. funereus (Crotch), B. panaminti (Fall) (tentative placement), B. spenceri (Leech) and B. striatellus (LeConte).
Boreonectes may be separated from Stictotarsus by the shining ventral surface of the head behind the eyes, with only superficial reticulation (closely punctate in Stictotarsus).
27-i-2011
p. 1.6 - 2nd column, under 3., line 15 should read “the bulging, white abdominal venter, ...”
p. 1.8 - Brady Richards (California State University, Chico, CA) was somehow left off the list of workers who supplied specimens – sorry, Brady!
pp. 3.1, 3.7 – Auleutes is misspelled as “Aleutes”.
p. 5.63 - Couplet 1 has H. deflatus at 3.8 – 4.7mm but the description has it listed as 4.2-4.7mm; go with 3.8-4.7 mm.
p. 5.70 - species box: delete space in “inexpectatus”
p. 6.23 – what are termed “basolateral” triangles in couplet 14 should be basomesal triangles
p. 16.14 - under Notes – the “fourth form” referred to in line 1 is not “keyed below”; it should read “discussed below”.
2-xi-2010