This checklist registers species known to occur in Florida, based on literature citations and material examined by the author. It also includes taxa which may occur in Florida; many of these taxa occur on the U.S. Southeastern Coastal Plain but have not been positively identified from Florida. Note also that some literature records may be considered doubtful; some species recorded in earlier literature but misidentified are not listed. Only important synonyms pertaining to Florida water beetles are listed. In general, only aquatic or semi-aquatic species are listed. The families, genera and species are listed in alphabetic order. Undescribed taxa are assigned letter or number designators. For more information see my 2010 water beetle identification manual.
KEY: [] = synonym; * = may occur in Florida; § = recorded from Florida, but identification doubtful, not confirmed or incorrect.
To see a listing of all recently added taxa, click here.
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Dryopidae
Dytiscidae
Elmidae
Gyrinidae
Haliplidae
Helophoridae
Hydraenidae
Hydrochidae
Hydrophilidae
Noteridae
Psephenidae
Ptilodactylidae
Scirtidae
DRYOPIDAE
Helichus Erichson, 1847
* basalis LeConte, 1852
fastigiatus (Say, 1824)
lithophilus (Germar, 1824)
Pelonomus Erichson, 1847
obscurus LeConte, 1852
DYTISCIDAE
Acilius Leach, 1817
confusus Bergsten, 2006
fraternus (Harris, 1828)
mediatus (Say, 1823)
Agabetes Crotch, 1873
acuductus (Harris, 1828)
Agabus Leach, 1817
punctatus Melsheimer, 1844
xyztrus Larson, 2000 [split from aeruginosus Aubé, 1838]
Anodocheilus Babington, 1841
exiguus (Aubé, 1838)
Bidessonotus Régimbart, 1895
inconspicuus (LeConte, 1855)
longovalis (Blatchley, 1919)
pulicarius (Aubé, 1838)
Brachyvatus Zimmermann, 1919
apicatus (Clark, 1862) [= seminulum LeConte, 1878]
Celina Aubé, 1837
angustata Aubé, 1838
contiger Guignot, 1947
grossula LeConte, 1863
hubbelli Young, 1979
imitatrix Young, 1979
palustris Young, 1979
slossoni Mutchler, 1918
Coelambus Thomson, 1860
berneri (Young & Wolfe, 1984)
nubilus (LeConte, 1815)
Copelatus Erichson, 1832
blatchleyi Young, 1953
caelatipennis princeps Young, 1963
chevrolati chevrolati Aubé, 1838
chevrolati renovatus Guignot, 1952
cubaensis Schaeffer, 1908
glyphicus (Say, 1823)
punctulatus Aubé, 1838
Coptotomus Say, 1830
interrogatus (Fabricius, 1801)
longulus lenticus Hilsenhoff, 1980
loticus Hilsenhoff, 1980
venustus (Say, 1823)
Cybister Curtis, 1827
fimbriolatus fimbriolatus (Say, 1823)
fimbriolatus crotchi Wilke, 1920
occidentalis Aubé, 1838
Derovatellus Sharp, 1882
floridanus Fall, 1932
Desmopachria Babington, 1841
aspera Young, 1981
cenchramis Young, 1981
granum (LeConte, 1855)
leechi Young, 1981
mutchleri Blatchley, 1919
seminola Young, 1951
striola Sharp, 1887
Dytiscus Linnaeus, 1758
carolinus Aubé, 1838
Eretes Laporte, 1833
explicitus Miller, 2002
Graphoderus Dejean, 1833
liberus (Say, 1825)
* Hoperius Fall, 1927
* planatus Fall, 1927
Hydaticus Leach, 1817
(Hydaticus) cinctipennis Aubé, 1838
(Prodaticus) bimarginatus (Say, 1830)
* (P.) rimosus (Aubé, 1838)
Hydrocolus Roughley & Larson, 2000
deflatus (Fall, 1923) [= ruficeps Aubé, 1838 in Young 1954]
filiolus (Fall, 1923) ?
oblitus (Aubé, 1838)
Hydrodytes Miller, 2001
dodgei (Young, 1989)
Hydroporus Clairville, 1806
brevicornis Fall, 1917
§ dichrous Melsheimer, 1844
falli Blatchley, 1925
floridanus (Young, 1940)
§ niger Say, 1823
pseudoniger Nilsson & Fery, 2006 [nom. nov. for ruficeps Aubé, 1838]
rufilabris Sharp, 1882
signatus youngi Gordon, 1981
Hydrovatus Motschulsky, 1853
inexpectatus Young, 1963
peninsularis Young, 1953
platycornis Young, 1963
pustulatus (Melsheimer, 1844)
Hygrotus Stephens, 1828
marginipennis (Blatchley, 1912)
Ilybius Erichson, 1832
incarinatus Zimmermann, 1928
oblitus Sharp, 1882
Laccomimus Toledo & Michat, 2015 [replaces Laccodytes Régimbart, 1895]
pumilio (LeConte, 1878)
Laccophilus Leach, 1815
fasciatus rufus Melsheimer, 1844
gentilis gentilis LeConte, 1863
proximus Say, 1823
vacaensis Young, 1953
Laccornis Gozis, 1914
* difformis (LeConte, 1855)
* nemorosus Wolfe & Roughley, 1990
* schusteri Wolfe & Spangler, 1985
Liodessus Guignot, 1939
§ cantralli (Young, 1953)
crotchi Nilsson, 2001 [nom. nov. for fuscatus Crotch, 1873]
flavicollis (LeConte, 1855)
hobbsi Young, 1950
noviaffinis Miller, 1998 [replaces affinis (Say, 1823) in SE US]
Lioporeus Guignot, 1950 [= Falloporus Wolfe & Matta, 1981]
pilatei (Fall, 1917)
triangularis (Fall, 1917)
Matus Aubé, 1836
bicarinatus (Say, 1823)
leechi Young, 1953
ovatus blatchleyi Leech, 1941
Meridiorhantus Balke, Hájek & Hendrich, 2017
calidus (Fabricius, 1792)
Metaxydytes Miller, Michat & Ferreira Jr, 2024
fraternus (Sharp, 1882)
Neobidessus Young, 1967
pullus floridanus (Fall, 1917)
pullus pullus (LeConte, 1855)
Neoporus Guignot, 1931
asidytus (Young, 1984)
aulicus (Aubé, 1838)
baelus (Young, 1984)
blanchardi (Sherman, 1913)
carolinus (Fall, 1917)
cimicoides (Sharp, 1882)
clypealis (Sharp, 1882)
dilatatus (Fall, 1917) [= spurius (LeConte, 1855)? in Young 1954]
dixianus (Fall, 1917)
effeminatus (Fall, 1923)
gaudens (Fall, 1923)
hebes (Fall, 1923)
helocrinus (Young, 1967)
hybridus (Aubé, 1838)
* latocavus (Wolfe, 1984)
lobatus (Sharp, 1882)
lynceus (Sharp, 1882) complex
mellitus (LeConte, 1855)
* lecontei Nilsson, 2001 [=mixtus (LeConte, 1855)]
* psammodytes (Young, 1978)
rheocrinus (Young, 1967)
shermani (Fall, 1917)
striatopunctatus (Melsheimer, 1844)
uniformis (Blatchley, 1925)
venustus (LeConte, 1855)
vittatipennis (Gemminger & von Harold, 1868)
Pachydrus Sharp, 1882
princeps (Blatchley, 1914)
Platambus Thompson, 1859
astrictovittatus (Larson & Wolfe, 1998) [= Agabus sp. A Epler]
johannis (Fall, 1922)
stagninus (Say, 1823)
Thermonectus Dejean, 1833
basillaris (Harris, 1829)
nigrofasciatus ornaticollis (Aubé, 1838)
Uvarus Guignot, 1939
falli (Young, 1940)
granarius (Aubé, 1838)
inflatus (Young, 1950)
lacustris (Say, 1823)
rogersi (Young, 1941)
sinofelihelianthus Epler, 2020 [= Uvarus sp. 1 Epler]
ELMIDAE
Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847
variegatus (Germar, 1824)
Dubiraphia Sanderson, 1954
vittata (Melsheimer, 1844)
Gonielmis Sanderson, 1954
dietrichi (Musgrave, 1933)
Macronychus Müller, 1806
glabratus Say, 1825
Microcylloepus Hinton, 1935
pusillus (LeConte, 1852)
Optioservus Sanderson, 1954 [includes Promoresia]
* elegans (LeConte, 1852)
ovalis (LeConte, 1863)
tardellus (Fall, 1925)
* trivittatus (Brown, 1930)
Oulimnius des Gozis, 1886
latiusculus (LeConte, 1866)
nitidulus (LeConte, 1866)
Stenelmis Dufour, 1835
antennalis Sanderson, 1938
convexula Sanderson, 1938
crenata (Say, 1824)
decorata Sanderson, 1938
fuscata Blatchley, 1925
grossa Sanderson, 1938
hungerfordi Sanderson, 1938
lignicola Schmude & Brown, 1992
mera Sanderson, 1938
morsei White, 1982
musgravei Sanderson, 1938
sinuata LeConte, 1852
xylonastis Schmude & Barr, 1992
sp. C Epler
sp. D Epler
GYRINIDAE
Dineutus MacLeay, 1825
americanus (Linnaeus, 1788)
angustus LeConte, 1878
assimilis Kirby, 1937
carolinus LeConte, 1868
ciliatus (Forsberg, 1821)
discolor Aubé, 1838
emarginatus (Say, 1823)
nigrior Roberts, 1895
§ productus Roberts, 1895
serrulatus LeConte, 1868 [= analis Régimbart, 1882]
shorti Gustafson & Sites, 2015
Gyretes Brullé, 1834
iricolor Young, 1947
* sinuatus LeConte, 1851
Gyrinus Müller, 1764
analis Say, 1825
elevatus LeConte, 1868
gibber LeConte, 1868 [= frosti Fall, 1922; floridensis Ochs, 1929]
marginellus Fall, 1922
pachysomus Fall, 1922
parcus Say, 1834
rockinghamensis LeConte, 1868
woodruffi Fall, 1922
Spanglerogyrus Folkerts, 1979
albiventris Folkerts, 1979
HALIPLIDAE
Haliplus Latreille, 1802
annulatus Roberts, 1913
confluentus Roberts, 1913
fasciatus Aubé, 1838
havaniensis Wehncke, 1880
* leopardus Roberts, 1913
mutchleri Wallis, 1933
* pantherinus Aubé, 1838
pseudofasciatus Wallis, 1933
punctatus Aubé, 1838
triopsis Say, 1823
Peltodytes Régimbart, 1878
bradleyi Young, 1961
dietrichi Young, 1961
dunavani Young, 1961
floridensis Matheson, 1912
muticus (LeConte, 1863)
oppositus Roberts, 1913
sexmaculatus Roberts, 1913
HELOPHORIDAE
Helophorus Fabricius, 1775
* linearis LeConte, 1855
lineatus Say, 1823
* marginicollis Smetana, 1985
HYDRAENIDAE
Gymnochthebius d'Orchymont, 1943
fossatus (LeConte, 1855)
seminole Perkins, 1980
Hydraena Kugelann, 1794
marginicollis Kiesenwetter, 1849
spangleri Perkins, 1980
youngi Perkins, 1980
Ochthebius Leach, 1815
attritus LeConte, 1878
HYDROCHIDAE
Hydrochus Leach, 1817
callosus LeConte, 1855
excavatus LeConte, 1855
falsus Hellman, 2016 [= sp. 1 Epler]
inaequalis LeConte, 1855
jaechi Makhan, 1995 [= sp. 8 Epler]
jiawanae Makhan 1996 [= sp. 2 Epler]
minimus Blatchley, 1919
pajnii Makhan, 2000 [= sp. 5 Epler]
rufipes Melsheimer, 1844
rugosus Mulsant, 1844 [= hanoewanti Makhan, 1994]
schereri Makhan, 1995 [= sp. 6 Epler]
simplex LeConte, 1855 [= equicarinatus Blatchley, 1928]
sp. 3 Epler
sp. 4 Epler
sp. 7 Epler
HYDROPHILIDAE
* Anacaena Thomson, 1859
* limbata (Fabricius, 1792)
Berosus Leach, 1817
aculeatus LeConte, 1815
arnetti Van Tassell, 1990
corrini Wooldridge, 1964
exiguus (Say, 1825)
infuscatus LeConte, 1855
ordinatus LeConte, 1855
pantherinus LeConte, 1855
peregrinus (Herbst, 1797)
pugnax LeConte, 1863
sayi Hansen, 1999 [nom. nov. for striatus (Say, 1825)]
youngi Wooldridge, 1964
Cercyon Leach, 1817
crocatus Smetana, 1978
floridanus Horn, 1890
herceus Smetana, 1978
mendax Smetana, 1978
nigriceps (Marsham, 1802) [= atricapillus Marsham, 1802]
praetextatus (Say, 1825)
quisquilius (Linnaeus, 1761)
variegatus Sharp, 1882
versicolor Smetana, 1978
Chaetarthria Stephens, 1835
pallida (LeConte, 1861)
Crenitulus Winters, 1926
suturalis (LeConte, 1866)
Cymbiodyta Bedel, 1881 (includes Helocombus Horn, 1890)
bifidus (LeConte, 1855)
chamberlaini Smetana, 1974 [= blanchardi Horn ? in Young 1954]
* minima Notman, 1919
vindicata Fall, 1924
Derallus Sharp, 1882
altus (LeConte, 1855)
Enochrus Thomson, 1859
blatchleyi (Fall, 1924)
cinctus (Say, 1824)
consors (LeConte, 1863)
consortus Green, 1946
fimbriatus (Melsheimer, 1844) [=perplexus LeConte, 1855]
grossi Short, 2003
hamiltoni (Horn, 1890)
interruptus Gundersen, 1977
ochraceus (Melsheimer, 1844)
* pseudochraceus Gundersen, 1977
pygmaeus nebulosus (Say, 1824)
pygmaeus pygmaeus (Fabricius, 1792)
reflexipennis (Zimmermann, 1869)
sayi Gundersen, 1977
sublongus (Fall, 1926)
Helobata Bergroth, 1888
larvalis (Horn, 1873) [ = striata Brullé, 1841]
Helochares Mulsant, 1844
maculicollis Mulsant, 1844
Hydrobiomorpha Blackburn, 1888
casta (Say, 1835)
Hydrochara Berthold, 1827
brevipalpis Smetana, 1980
occulta (d'Orchymont, 1933)
soror Smetana, 1980
spangleri Smetana, 1980
Hydrophilus Geoffroy, 1762 [includes Dibolocelus Bedel, 1891]
ensifer Brullé, 1837 [= ater Olivier, 1792]
insularis Castelnau, 1840
ovatus (Gemminger & Harold, 1868)
§ smaragdinus Brullé, 1837
triangularis Say, 1823
Novochares Girón & Short, 2021
sallaei (Sharp, 1882)
Laccobius Erichson, 1837
reflexipenis Cheary, 1971
Limnohydrobius Reitter, 1909
tumidus (LeConte, 1855)
Paracymus Thomson, 1867
confusus Wooldridge, 1966
degener (Horn, 1890)
dispersus Wooldridge, 1966
lodingi (Fall, 1910)
nanus (Fall, 1910)
reductus (Fall, 1910)
* seclusus Wooldridge, 1978
subcupreus (Say, 1825)
Phaenonotum Sharp, 1882
exstriatum (Say, 1835)
minus Smetana, 1978
Sperchopsis LeConte, 1861
tessellata (Ziegler, 1844)
Tropisternus Solier, 1834
blatchleyi blatchleyi d'Orchymont, 1922
collaris (Fabricius, 1775)
lateralis nimbatus (Say, 1823)
natator d'Orchymont, 1938
quadristriatus Horn, 1871
NOTERIDAE
Hydrocanthus Say, 1823
atripennis Say, 1830
oblongus Sharp, 1882
regius Young, 1953
Mesonoterus Sharp, 1882
addendus (Blatchley, 1920)
Notomicrus Sharp, 1882
nanulus (LeConte, 1863)
sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939
Suphis Aubé, 1836
inflatus (LeConte, 1863)
Suphisellus Crotch, 1873 (includes Pronoterus Sharp, 1882)
bicolor bicolor (Say, 1830)
* b. punctipennis (Sharp, 1882)
gibbulus (Aubé, 1838)
insularis (Sharp, 1882) [= floridanus Blatchley, 1914]
parsonsi Young, 1952
puncticollis Crotch, 1873
semipunctatus (LeConte, 1882)
PSEPHENIDAE
Ectopria LeConte, 1853
thoracica (Ziegler, 1845)
PTILODACTYLIDAE
Anchytarsus Guérin-Méneville, 1843
bicolor (Melsheimer, 1846)
SCIRTIDAE
Contacyphon Gozis, 1886 [nec Cyphon Paykull, 1799]
americanus (Pic, 1913)
cooperi (Shaeffer, 1931)
ochreatus (Klausnitzer, 1976) [was sp. 1 Epler, 2010]
perplexus (Blatchley, 1914)
pubescens (Fabricius, 1792) [was nebulosus (LeConte, 1853)]
punctatus (LeConte, 1853)
pusillus (LeConte, 1853) [was neopadi (Klausnitzer, 1976)] [record from Peck & Thomas (1998) for C. padi (L.) probably refers to C. neopadi ]variabilis (Thunberg, 1875)]
setulipennis (Klausnitzer, 1976) [was sp. 2 Epler, 2010]
Ora Clark, 1865
discoidea Champion, 1897
hyacintha Blatchley, 1914
texana Champion, 1897
trobertii (Guérin-Méneville, 1861)
Prionocyphon Redtenbacher, 1858
discoideus (Say, 1825)
limbatus LeConte, 1866
Sacodes LeConte, 1853
pulchella Guérin-Méneville, 1843
* thoracica (Guérin-Méneville, 1843)
Sarabandus Leech, 1955
robustus (LeConte)
Scirtes Illiger, 1807
goliai Epler, 2012 [= sp. 1 Epler]
oblongus Guérin-Méneville, 1861
orbiculatus (Fabricius, 1801)
tibialis Guérin-Méneville, 1843 [= ovalis Blatchley, 1924; piceolus Blatchley, 1924]
New Genus [was Cyphon sp. 3 Epler, 2010; description in progress]