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Pack Forest
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July 10-12, 2009
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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) » Fruit and Flower Chafers (Cetoniinae) » Valgini » Valgus

Genus Valgus

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Which Valgus species? - Valgus canaliculatus - male

ant/termite cohabitant scarab - Valgus seticollis

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 Cetoniinae (Fruit and Flower Chafers)

Tribe Valgini

Genus Valgus

Explanation of Names

Author of genus is Scriba, 1790. (Based on Internet searches, this author appears to be Ludwig Gottlieb Scriba (1736-1804), German, publisher of Journal für die Liebhaber der Entomologie, of which only three volumes were ever published--see Wikipedia list.)

The word valgus is Latin and refers to a limb deformity, "bent out from body". This likely refers to shape of legs. (Based on Internet searches.)

Numbers

Nearctica.com lists four North American species

Size

circa 5-8 mm

Identification

Small compact-shaped (almost tick-like) scarabs that visit flowers. Note short elytra, leaving much of abdomen exposed.

Range

Much of North America into southern Mexico, also Palaearctic, Indomalaysian regions.

Habitat

Fields with flowers.

Season

March-June

Food

Adults take pollen from flowers.

Life Cycle

Larvae are decomposers of wood. Larva of V. canaliculatus reported to feed on walls termite galleries (1). Members of this genus have an association with termites, and those can be termed termitophiles (Generic Guide to New World Scarabs).

Print References

Harpootlian, p. 124, fig. 243, 285--photo (1)

Dillon, p. 558, Plate LIII--canaliculatus, seticollis (2)

Internet References

Generic Guide to New World Scarabs Generic Guide to New World Scarabs

North Carolina State University Entomology Collection lists three species for that state, with number pinned: canaliculatus (181), seticollis (36), squamiger (32). The latter two are now considered synonymous, so the list is really of two species.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park lists two species: canaliculatus and seticollis.

Beetles of Florida lists canaliculatus.

Synopsis of Scarab Beetle Tribe Valgini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) in the New World

Works Cited

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

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

Contributed by Cotinis on 29 June, 2004 - 4:42pm
Additional contributions by jvandyk, Jeff Gruber
Last updated 30 March, 2009 - 12:29pm

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