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The Beetles (Order Coleoptera) of Southern California

A work in progress, this guide is intended to display the many families and species of beetles found in Southern California.

The diverse habitats offered from the 10 counties provide home to to at least 1,378 recorded beetles to date.

Trout-stream Beetles 1
Amphizoidae
Ground Beetles 2
Carabidae
Predaceous Diving Beetles 3
Dytiscidae
Whirligig Beetles 4
Gyrinidae
Crawling Water Beetles 4
Haliplidae
Wrinkled Bark Beetles 5
Rhysodidae
False Ground Beetles
Trachypachidae
Skiff Beetles 6
Hydroscaphidae
Reticulated Beetles 6
Cupedidae
Hister Beetles 3
Histeridae
Scavenger Water Beetles 4
Hydrophilidae
Soft-bodied Plant Beetles 7
Dascillidae
Cicada Parasite Beetles 8
Rhipiceridae
Moss Beetles
Byrrhidae
Long-toed Water Beetles 4
Dryopidae
Riffle Beetles 4
Elmidae
Variegated Mud-loving Beetles 4
Heteroceridae
Minute Marsh-loving Beetles 9
Limnichidae
Water-penny beetles
Psephenidae
Wounded-tree Beetles 1
Nosodendridae
Longhorn Beetles 10
Cerambycidae
Leaf Beetles 11
Chrysomelidae
Megalopodid Leaf Beetles 4
Megalopodidae
Ravenous Leaf Beetles
Orsodacnidae
Soft-bodied Plant Beetles 1
Artematopodidae
Soldier Beetles 12
Cantharidae
Rare Click Beetles 1
Cerophytidae
Click Beetles 13
Elateridae
False Click Beetles 4
Eucnemidae
Fireflies 14
Lampyridae
Net-winged Beetles 15
Lycidae
False Soldier Beetles 16
Omethidae
Glowworm Beetles 17
Phengodidae
False Metallic Wood-boring Beetles 18
Throscidae
Wood Borer Beetles 4
Anobiidae
Horned Powder-post Beetles 19
Bostrichidae
Skin Beetles 20
Dermestidae
Antlike Leaf Beetles 5
Aderidae
Ant-like Flower Beetles 3
Anthicidae
Shelf Fungus Beetles 18
Ciidae
False Darkling Beetles 4
Melandryidae
Blister Beetles 21
Meloidae
Tumbling Flower Beetles 22
Mordellidae
Hairy Fungus Beetles 4
Mycetophagidae
Palm and Flower Beetles 21
Mycteridae
False Blister Beetles 4
Oedemeridae
Red Log Beetle 5
Prostomidae
Fire-colored Beetles 23
Pyrochroidae
Dead Log Beetles 24
Pythidae
Wedge-shaped Beetles 25
Ripiphoridae
Narrow-waisted Bark Beetles 26
Salpingidae
False Flower Beetles 27
Scraptiidae
Darkling Beetles 2
Tenebrionidae
Polypore Fungus Beetles 28
Tetratomidae
Ironclad Beetles 29
Zopheridae
Minute Beetles 4
Clambidae
Plate-thigh Beetles 9
Eucinetidae
Marsh Beetles 24
Scirtidae
Earth-Boring Scarab Beetles 30
Geotrupidae
Bumble Bee Scarab Beetles 31
Glaphyridae
Enigmatic Scarab Beetles 1
Glaresidae
Scavenger Scarab Beetles 4
Hybosoridae
Stag Beetles 32
Lucanidae
Sand-loving Scarab Beetles 33
Ochodaeidae
Rain Beetles 34
Pleocomidae
Scarabs 24
Scarabaeidae
Hide Beetles 4
Trogidae
Primitive Carrion Beetles 4
Agyrtidae
Cascade Beetle 4
Hydraenidae
Round Fungus Beetles 4
Leiodidae
Horseshoe Crab Beetles 3
Ptiliidae
Ant-like Stone Beetles
Scydmaenidae
Carrion Beetles 35
Silphidae
Rove Beetles 15
Staphylinidae
False Skin Beetles 1
Biphyllidae
Dry Bark Beetles 1
Bothrideridae
Fruitworms 4
Byturidae
Minute Bark Beetles 4
Cerylonidae
Ladybird Beetles 36
Coccinellidae
Minute Hooded Beetles 4
Corylophidae
Silken Fungus Beetles 4
Cryptophagidae
Flat Bark Beetles 37
Cucujidae
Handsome Fungus Beetles 1
Endomychidae
Pleasing Fungus Beetles 38
Erotylidae
Short-winged Flower Beetles
Kateretidae
Lined Flat Bark Beetles 4
Laemophloeidae
Mildew Beetles 4
Latridiidae
Root-eating Beetles 4
Monotomidae
Sap Beetles 39
Nitidulidae
Parasitic Flat Bark Beetles 4
Passandridae
Shining Flower Beetles 4
Phalacridae
Silvanid Flat Bark Beetles 4
Silvanidae
Cryptic Slime Mold Beetles 1
Sphindidae
Metallic Wood-boring Beetles 40
Buprestidae
False Jewel Beetles 1
Schizopodidae
Checkered Beetles 21
Cleridae
Soft-winged Flower Beetles 35
Melyridae
Bark-gnawing Beetles 5
Trogossitidae
Fungus Weevils 4
Anthribidae
Leaf Rolling Weevils 41
Attelabidae

Edited by BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Photo Credits

  • 1. (c) Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
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  • 3. (c) Udo Schmidt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
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  • 16. (c) Andreas Kay, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 17. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda
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  • 19. (c) Václav Hanzlík, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 20. (c) João Coelho, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 21. (c) Ferran Turmo Gort, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
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  • 26. (c) Mick Talbot, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 27. (c) flyman13, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 28. (c) cotinis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 29. (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 30. (c) Chris Moody, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 31. (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 32. František ŠARŽÍK, no known copyright restrictions (public domain)
  • 33. (c) Filip Trnka, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 34. (c) 2002 California Academy of Sciences, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 35. (c) Jenn Forman Orth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 36. (c) Ken Schneider, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ken Schneider
  • 37. (c) Peter Stevens, some rights reserved (CC BY)
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  • 39. (c) 106584015630019574849, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by 106584015630019574849
  • 40. (c) Valter Jacinto, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 41. (c) Walwyn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)

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