Scarab beetle - Phanaeus vindex

Phanaeus vindex

This is P. vindex, appears to be a very minor male.

Phillip Harpootlian
Simpsonville, SC

… Phillip Harpootlian, 13 January, 2005 - 12:11pm

Thanks, Phillip!

Nice to have an expert setting us on the right track!

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 12 February, 2005 - 1:40pm

You captured the colors brilliantly

Dillon and Dillon (1) mention two Eastern Phanaeus species, difformis and vindex. Maybe others have been classified since then as Nearctica.com lists many species and NCSU has quite a list as well. I might actually lean towards P. vindex, but it might be better just to leave it at the genus level.

Someone emailed me a photo of one of these recently asking what it was and I noticed we didn't have one. Now we do!

… Troy Bartlett, 24 July, 2004 - 2:36pm

Scarab beetle - Phanaeus vindex

I captured a photo of one that was busy going back and forth steeling my pet tortoise's dung. Take a look. Got a shot of him on his way to get more poo.

… Loretta, 13 September, 2008 - 10:56am

Dillon coverage, your photo

Dillon and Dillon seem to cover just the widespread eastern species, wiht a bias towards the northeast. They don't cover many things that are common in the Carolinas.

Incidentally, your photo below

is a Phaneus, I think. Remind me to check Scarab Beetles of South Carolina. All the Phaneus from our area are described there, and they are fairly easy to key.

We get Phaneus vindex, I think, up in this area, (piedmont North Carlolina) but they are not too common. As I said, I'll dig out my slide and scan it next week so we can get some coverage on the genus.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 25 July, 2004 - 2:55pm

I think you are right

Hey Hannah,

Nice shot of a beautiful dung beetle. My guess is it is a female Phanaeus igneus as you do. Check out this link for verification.

-Tony

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 24 July, 2004 - 1:58pm

Thanks!

It's a pretty one, isn't it? I read in Peterson that the males don't always have the horn ("male sometimes has a horn on the head, female does not"), so it could be an unhorned male, but probably a female.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 24 July, 2004 - 5:07pm

Phaneus igneus--I think so too

Wow, great photo. Yes, I think it is P. igneus. I believe Troy has a photo of a female as well--I put a comment in about that a while ago.

Dillon and Dillon tended not to cover too many of the southeastern scarabs--just those widespread in the east. Scarab Beetles of South Carolina has better coverage. I'll check that on Monday--don't have in front of me, but I was looking at it the other day, and I recollect P. igneus was distinctive.

I have a photo of P. vindex from North Carolina, gotta scan it and post it--am slowly working through some of my old slides.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 24 July, 2004 - 5:05pm