Hydroscaphidae

{{Short description|Family of beetles}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{Geological range|Aptian|Recent}}

| image = Hydroscapha natans01.jpg

| image_caption = Hydroscapha natans

| display_parents = 3

| taxon = Hydroscaphidae

| authority = LeConte, 1874

| subdivision_ranks = Genera

| subdivision = *Hydroscapha LeConte, 1874

• Scaphydra Reichardt, 1973
• Yara Reichardt & Hinton, 1976
• Confossa Short, Joly, García & Maddison, 2015

}}

The Hydroscaphidae are a small family of water beetles known commonly as skiff beetles.{{cite journal|last=Cai |first=C. |display-authors=etal |year=2012 |doi=10.1666/11-050.1 |title=The first skiff beetle (Coleoptera: Myxophaga: Hydroscaphidae) from Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota |journal=Journal of Paleontology |volume=86 |issue=1 |pages=116–9|bibcode=2012JPal...86..116C }} As of 2010, there are 23 species in the family.{{cite journal |last=Falamarzi |first=S. |display-authors=etal|year=2010 |url=http://www.aemnp.eu/PDF/50_1/50_1_97.pdf |title=Confirmed occurrence of Hydroscapha granulum in Iran, with notes on its biology (Coleoptera: Myxophaga: Hydroscaphidae) |journal=Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae |volume=50 |pages=97–106}} Several are recently described.

These beetles are small, most under {{cvt|2|mm}} in length. They are tan to brown in color and the elytra are abbreviated, leaving several tapering tergites of the abdomen exposed. The wings are fringed with long setae. The larvae are fusiform, with a wide thorax and a narrowing abdomen.

Hydroscaphidae live on mats of algae with a thin layer of running water. This may be the accumulated algae lining the very edge of a stream of water.{{cite journal |last1=Fikáček |first1=M. |first2=H. |last2=Šípková |year=2009 |url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/z02286p048f.pdf |title=New Asian Hydroscapha, with comments on male-female association of co-occurring species (Coleoptera, Myxophaga, Hydroscaphidae) |journal=Zootaxa |volume=2286 |pages=31–48 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2286.1.2}} They tolerate a wide range of temperatures; they have been observed in hot springs and in icy snowmelt. The algae are their food source.

The reproductive cycle is not well known. In at least one species, the female lays a single large egg on the algal mat.

Hydroscaphid species have been reported from every continent except Antarctica.

Genera:{{cite journal |last1=Beutel |first1=R G. |first2=A. |last2=Haas |year=1998 |doi=10.1007/s004350050061 |title=Larval head morphology of Hydroscapha natans (Coleoptera, Myxophaga) with reference to miniaturization and the systematic position of Hydroscaphidae.] |journal=Zoomorphology |volume=118 |issue=2 |pages=103–116}}

• Hydroscapha LeConte, 1874 – United States and Europe.
• Scaphydra Reichardt, 1973 – Brazil.
• Yara Reichardt & Hinton, 1976 – South America and Central America.
• Confossa Short, Joly, García & Maddison, 2015 – South America{{Cite web |title=Confossa minima Short, Joly, Garcia, Wild, Bloom & Maddison, 2015, new species - Plazi TreatmentBank |url=https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0C7428D0-C4A9-46C2-A4F0-C0C0611C86CF |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=treatment.plazi.org |language=en}}