An annotated checklist of family Hydraenidae (Coleoptera: Staphylinoidea) in the North Africa

Abstract

Data from previous literature were used to compile a checklist of the of north African hydraenid beetles. Members of Hydraenidae are mostly 0.5-3 mm in length and genitalia of different species under the same taxonomic group are almost indistinguishable. The external morphology of several taxa, e.g., Ochthebiinae, is largely variable. Mostly all the described genera or subgenera are with uncertain relationships in addition to the presence of many assigned but undescribed species. Here we summarize the recorded species of family Hydraenidae in the north Africa. The species distribution in the Palearctic region is provided. According to the analysis of literature a total of 15, 15, 61, 39 species were recorded in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia respectively. The genus Ochthebius was represented by 15, 13, 36, 16 species, while Hydraena by 19, 1, 15, 12 species, and Limnebius species was represented by 3,