while about 8000 are dung beetles i.e. Dynastines are generally very distinctly coloured and patterned. In some regions e.g. This listing is for a single unsexed Chrysina woodii beetle LARVA. Scarab beetles are a species from the family scarabaeidae, which are widely distributed across the globe, (Ratcliffe, 2002) and (Powell, 2009). Members of this subfamily burrow beneath dung constructing vertical tunnels with lateral branches into which brood-pellets of dung are deposited. Most adult beetles are nocturnal, although the flower chafers (Cetoniinae) and many leaf chafers (Rutelinae) are active during the day. Includes about 70 dung beetle species, of which many are common and widespread. The larvae of most scarab beetles are whitish, C-shaped grubs that live underground or in other protected places. The large genus Aphodius Illiger, 1798 includes about 49 species but is very likely to be split into many other genera, mostly corresponding to what are now subgenera. as larvae but several tribes e.g. In the discussion that follows we will refer to frequently used synonyms etc. Magpies eat large quantities of scarab beetles and grubs when they find them. All are distinctive with the claws equal in length and each with a lateral tooth although Hoplia has only a single, longitudinally divided, claw. The heads are often brownish or black, and they have three pairs of legs. The beetles are slowly moving through woodlands and forests where they feed on dead roots. The family of scarab beetles falls into the following classifications: Small to large species (3-20mm), most are powerfully built beetles with fossorial legs and some can swarm in large numbers. T. mcclayi (Cartwright, 1955) was added to the list in 1998 based on maritime records from South Wales. Abdomen with 6 free sternites and 7 functional spiracles situated in pleural membranes (dung beetles) or in sternites, tergites or pleural membranes (chafers, dynastines etc.). Many species, including many large tropical dynastines, are attracted to light and may occur in huge numbers. All images on this website have been taken in Leicestershire and Rutland by NatureSpot members. Dung beetles tend to be drab although there are many brilliant metallic green or blue tropical species and temperate species e.g. Primarily associated with dung, these species can also be found in carrion and rotting fungi. Scarab beetle larva found under a rock in our backyard, approximately 1.5 inches in length. Species vary widely in size from less than 2mm to about 160mm, many are massive as well as large and many males appear much larger due to exaggerated cephalic and pronotal development. The larvae, sometimes called rookworms, live in the soil and eat the roots of vegetables and grasses. The subfamily Melolonthinae are chafers, rather than dung beetles, and larvae of the eight British species can be found feeding on plant roots while the large brown adults fly strongly, often coming to light. Gnorimus nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) and G. variabilis (Linnaeus, 1758) are southern English species. Larvae only take 1-2 years to develop and unlike stag beetles the adults don’t necessarily die at the end of the season; they can live for up to 2 years. tend to be larger and often dimorphic, being more developed in the male. Theodosia rodriguezi AKA: Rodriguez's Scarab Beetle. Lesser stag beetles (Dorcus paralellapipidus) are the smaller cousin of our more well-known stag beetle (Lucanus cervus).They also rely on dead wood for a large part of their life cycle. The mandibles are very variable but usually robust and well-sclerotized, rarely produced, exaggerated or obviously dimorphic, often hidden beneath the clypeus. The grubs have a distinctive head capsule, and easy to identify legs on the thorax. Worldwide many chafers are horticultural or agricultural pests, with larvae consuming roots and adults attacking foliage e.g. Many excellent insects pictures. Our single species of Copris Geoffroy, 1762, C. lunaris (Linnaeus, 1758) is a large, 14-20mm, shiny-black beetle with 9 longitudinal striae on each elytron. They feed exposed on foliage. A. arenaria (Fabricius, 1787) and A. rufa (Fabricius, 1792) are maritime while A. insularis Pittino, 2006 occurs on sandy river banks as well as on the coast. All text on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Because the family is so very diverse the above discussion has been necessarily brief and superficial but detailed information can be found by following the subfamily links, and some of the variation in the details of the classification will be discussed. Phaenomeridinae Erichson, 1847, Dynastinae, Cetoniinae Leach, 1815, Glaphyrinae MacLeay, 1819 and Systellopodinae Endroi, 1966, while Scarabaeidae includes the remainder of the Scarabaeoidea except for Lucanidae Latreille, 1804, Trogidae MacLeay, 1819 and Passalidae Leach, 1819. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. I find the easiest way to identify a beetle is to look through a reference collection of well-carded specimens. Chrysina scarabs typically live in mountain forests. Small (2.5-4.5mm) beetles, they have obviously-ridged pronotums. Phyllopertha horticola (Linnaeus, 1758) is common and widespread while Anomala dubia (Scopoli, 1763), the dune chafer, is a very local, mostly maritime species. Scarlet lily beetle adults and larvae eat lilies and fritillary flowers, so they are often considered pests by gardeners. Some dung beetles care for their eggs and/or larvae and some look after their food or brooding material, many fly well and are rapid to colonize fresh material as they follow herbivores etc. Three, basic strategies are seen in dung beetles; those that collect dung, mould it, remove it from the source material and bury it so avoiding competition and desiccation e.g. Larvae are the immature stage of the beetle, sometimes called grubs (think caterpillar stage of the butterfly). Hoplia Illiger, 1803, only a single claw. Including coleoptera,lepidoptera,beetles,butterflies and more. Antennae 4-segmented, the terminal segment with 1 or more sensory spots. The Geotrupidae, Trogidae and Glaphyridae were formerly included as subfamilies. Cetoniinae (including the tribe Trichiini, often promoted to family level) has six British members, mostly bright metallic species although Trichius fasciatus (L.) is a black and yellow bee mimic. Antennae 4-segmented, the terminal segment with 1 or more sensory spots. Rhino beetles, elephant beetles, and other … The term ‘dung beetle’ generally applies to members of the Aphodiinae and Scarabaeinae Latreille, 1802 although both groups include non-dung feeders and other families e.g. Tesarius caelatus (LeConte, 1857), first recorded in 1976, is a very local maritime species. It ranges from the simple laying of eggs under a leaf to scarab beetles, which construct impressive underground structures complete with a supply of dung to house and feed their young. Those developing within ant and termite nests tend to be highly specialized with their life-cycle intimately associated with the host. The majority are between 3mm and 20mm with the dung beetles on average smaller than other groups. A scarab beetle grub from Australia. In general the dynastines and dung beetles display such dimorphism while the chafers do not. It certainly does look like the one in BugGuide. 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