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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles (Scarabaeoidea) » Scarab Beetles (Scarabaeidae) » Dung Beetles (Scarabaeinae) » Onthophagus » Scooped Scarab (Onthophagus hecate)

Species Onthophagus hecate - Scooped Scarab

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Dung Beetle in Pennsylvania - Onthophagus hecate - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles)

Family Scarabaeidae (Scarab Beetles)

Subfamily Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles)

Genus Onthophagus

Species hecate (Scooped Scarab)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Onthophagus hecate (Panzer, 1794)

Size

6-9 mm

Identification

Onthophagus hecate is dull black, with a brassy look. Pronotum densely granulate.

Male has a long "horn" jutting from pronotum, usually bifurcated at end. See image:

Range

Eastern and central North America. Absent from west.

Habitat

General, has been found near deciduous woodlands in North Carolina and various habitats in Florida.

Season

North Carolina: March-November at low elevations, April-September in mountains. Listed all year from South Carolina. Also found all year in Florida, although especially abundant in the warmer months.

Food

Dung, rotting fruit, carrion.

Life Cycle

Found on dung and carrion.

Remarks

This must be quite a little fighter, with such armament!

Print References

Arnett, p. 170, fig. 417 (1)

Brimley, p. 199 (2)

Dillon, p. 514, Plate XLIX (3)

Harpootlian, p. 21, figs. 29, 248 (4)

Papp, p. 182, fig. 625 (5)

Salsbury, p. 180 (6)

Internet References

NCSU Entomology Collection, with 308 pinned.

Insects of Cedar Creek has photos of specimens male and female, related species.

Insects of Quebec has photos of specimens.

Works Cited

1.	How to Know the Beetles By Ross H. Arnett, N. M. Downie, H. E. Jaques

2.	Insects of North Carolina By C.S. Brimley

3.	A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence

4.	Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of South Carolina By Phillip J. Harpootlian

5.	Introduction to North American Beetles By Charles S. Papp

6.	Insects in Kansas By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White

Contributed by Cotinis on 6 May, 2004 - 7:05pm
Additional contributions by Chris Wirth, daidunno
Last updated 16 August, 2011 - 7:03am

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