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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Scarabaeoidea » Earth-Boring Scarab Beetles (Geotrupidae) » Bolboceratinae » Bolbocerastes » Bolbocerastes imperialis
Photo#136158
Reddish brown dung beetle - Bolbocerastes imperialis
Copyright © 2007 margarethe brummermann

Reddish brown dung beetle - Bolbocerastes imperialis
NW of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, USA
August 12, 2007
Size: 13mm
This one must have flown to the porch light at night, I found it in the dog water dish. I can't find any species fitting in shape as well as color in the guide, but most species described there are eastern.
By the way, the division of the eye is not complete.

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Reddish brown dung beetle - Bolbocerastes imperialis Reddish brown dung beetle - Bolbocerastes imperialis Reddish brown dung beetle - Bolbocerastes imperialis
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Contributed by margarethe brummermann on 12 August, 2007 - 5:30pm
Last updated 20 August, 2009 - 9:08pm

Moved
Moved from Bolbocerastes.
… margarethe brummermann, 20 August, 2009 - 9:08pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Bolboceratinae.
… Phillip Harpootlian, 15 August, 2007 - 8:38am login or register to post comments

Bolbocerastes imperialis
no doubt about genus, though can't be certain about sp. from a photo, but as I recall, thats the common one in AZ - new genus for the guide. Like many 'desert' Bolbocerines these spend much of their life in burrows - often very deep ones and only appear on the surface after a good soaking rain. The best evidence of their surface activity are 'push-ups', often in dirt roads, usually more so than in surrounding areas. I surmise that auto traffic mimics whatever cue they receive from rain falling - faint vibrations?

btw - members of this subfamily aren't dung beetles, but provision their young with humus/detritus.

addendum 8/15 - the more I look at the more I believe this is imperialis. Added details to the subfamily page with regards to the other genera here.
… Phillip Harpootlian, 12 August, 2007 - 7:45pm login or register to post comments

Was it still alive?
Many beetles go into an apparent reduced-metabolism state that mimics death when they are immersed and revive when they begin to dry out. Did you notice any such phenomenon?

Phillip may be able to give you a closer ID.
… Jim McClarin, 12 August, 2007 - 5:45pm login or register to post comments

 
It was alive, I think it wasn
It was alive, I think it wasn't in the water very long. I've seen the phenomenon that you are describing in other 'water beetles' though.
… margarethe brummermann, 12 August, 2007 - 6:04pm login or register to post comments

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