Tropisternus lateralis is a species of hydrophilid beetle that ranges across much of the Americas.

[1] Adult T. lateralis nimabatus, the subspecies found in the eastern United States, are distinguished by having uniformly dark elytra and pronotum with light-colored borders.

[1] The range of T. lateralis includes North America as far north as southern Canada, South America south to northern Chile and Argentina, the Caribbean, and the Galápagos Islands.

[4] Eggs are deposited in cases under water, and larvae are fully aquatic.

[1] Adult T. lateralis avoid colonizing and laying egg cases in ponds that contain fish, which are potential predators of all life stages of the beetles.