Bug FAQHelocombus bifidus
Helocombus bifidus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Hydrophilidae
Adults measure about 5.5 to 7.8 mm long. They live near ponds, lakes with emergent plants and in slow-moving streams.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
A pyramidal projection is present on the middle of the mesosternum, and the elytra show distinct striations.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adult length ranges from 5.5 to 7.8 mm (0.22 to 0.31 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 20 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Florida, Vermont, New York, Texas, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What habitats does Helocombus bifidus prefer?
It is collected from ponds, lakes with emergent vegetation like sedges, and slow-moving streams.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hydrophilidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbiodyta_bifidus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.