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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Scarabaeoidea » Scarab Beetles (Scarabaeidae) » Aphodiine Dung Beetles (Aphodiinae)

Subfamily Aphodiinae - Aphodiine Dung Beetles

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Range · Food · Works Cited
Ophodius rusicola - Oscarinus rusicola Geopsammodius prob subpedalis from Bald Point State Park - Geopsammodius subpedalis Aphodiine Scarab - Agoliinus Pseudagolius coloradensis Ataenius fattigi Dung Beetle - Colobopterus erraticus Scarabaeoidea – Scarab Beetles - Scarabaeidae – Aphodiine Dung Beetles – Aphodiinae - Aphodiini - Melinopterus prodromus Aphodiinae on a snowpack - Teuchestes fossor
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
Superfamily Scarabaeoidea
Family Scarabaeidae (Scarab Beetles)
Subfamily Aphodiinae (Aphodiine Dung Beetles)
Other Common Names
Small Dung Beetles (1)
Explanation of Names
Aphodiinae Leach 1815
Numbers
>400 spp. in 35-84 genera (depending on classification) of 6 tribes in our area, ~3200 spp. in ~280 genera worldwide, arranged into 12 tribes(2)
Size
rarely over 15 mm, most are less than 8 mm(2)
Range
worldwide and throughout NA(2)
Food
many feed on dung, some are detritivores, psammophiles, saprophages, inquilines with ants or termites, or may potentially be predators; adults with reduced mandibles are suspected to feed primarily on bacteria or yeast-rich fluids in dung or decaying materials(2)
Works Cited
1.iNaturalist
2.Skelley P.E. (2008) Aphodiinae. In: Generic guide to New World scarab beetles
Contributed by Phillip Harpootlian on 18 March, 2005 - 6:53am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 1 November, 2021 - 10:14pm

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