Explanation of Names
ont- or onto- combining form 7NL, fr. LGk onto-, fr. Gk ont-,: living organism & -phagus: N.L. masc. n. from Gr. masc. n. phagos, glutton or N.L. masc. substantive from Gr. v. phagein, to eat.
Numbers
Nearctica.com lists 32 species in genus for North America. They didn't include O. gazella and O. taurus though.
Identification
Small dung beetles, often with variously adorned heads/pronotums in males.
Life Cycle
Adults dig a tunnel under the dung supply for the larvae.
(1) Some species also found on carrion, fungi.
(2)Print References
Howden, H.F. and O.L. Cartwright. 1963. Scarab beetles of the genus Onthophagus Latreille north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Proceedings of the United States National Museum 114: 1-135.
Harpootlian, pp. 20-21, gives a key to South Carolina species and illustrates several.
(2)
Dillon, pp. 513-515 gives a key to common eastern North American species and illustrates several on plate XLIX.
(3)Internet References
Insects of Cedar Creek has photos of specimens male and female, O. orpheus and O. hecate.
