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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Staphyliniformia » Hydrophiloidea » Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilidae) » Sphaeridiinae » Sphaeridium » Sphaeridium lunatum
Photo#132415
Dung Beetle - Sphaeridium lunatum - female
Copyright © 2007 Stephen Luk

Dung Beetle - Sphaeridium lunatum - Female
Richmond Hill, York Region, Ontario, Canada
July 28, 2007
Size: 7 mm
Found around a dryish pile of dung (probably a dog's, left by some irresponsible dog owner). A smooth, shiny black with white elyral apices. I'm not sure where this should go as I'm unfamiliar with the Scarabaeoidea, so if someone can give me some direction, that would be greatly appreciated.

Images of this individual: tag all
Dung Beetle - Sphaeridium lunatum - female Dung Beetle - Sphaeridium lunatum
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Contributed by Stephen Luk on 30 July, 2007 - 5:39pm
Last updated 3 August, 2007 - 3:18am

Moved
Moved from Sphaeridium.
Guide page erected, ID is safe enough to do so.
… Boris Büche, 3 August, 2007 - 3:18am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Sphaeridium scarabaeoides.
… Stephen Luk, 2 August, 2007 - 11:13am login or register to post comments

To be identified with doubt only . . .
in females (like this one). 3 Spp. according to Nearctica. Size of this one excludes S.bipustulatum, red humeral spots lacking suggests S.lunatum (but only suggests . . .)
… Boris Büche, 31 July, 2007 - 9:28am login or register to post comments

 
What would you suggest I do?
Should I move these images up to genus level? How did you tell the gender?
… Stephen Luk, 31 July, 2007 - 2:29pm login or register to post comments

 
New information
I had a look in the key (all species concerned are holarctic):
S.bipustulatum: 4-5.5mm, humeral spots absent to present
S.scarabaeoides: 6-7.5mm, humeral spots present and well defined
S.lunatum: 6-7.5mm, humeral spots ill defined to absent

So, in this specimen, we can tell for sure, even it is a female!
Males have the claw segment of front tarsi much enlarged.
… Boris Büche, 2 August, 2007 - 8:51am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for the info!
I doublechecked with the actual specimen and it definitely lacks humeral spots. Size (I remeasured) is correct at 7 mm, thus that excludes bipustulatum like you said. So, looks like we have S. lunatum here. Thanks for taking the time to check with the key!
… Stephen Luk, 2 August, 2007 - 11:13am login or register to post comments

Ooooooopps...
Now, how did I miss those antennae?! Thanks for the correction, Phillip.
Moved from Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles.
… Stephen Luk, 30 July, 2007 - 9:51pm login or register to post comments

nope, but
you're not the first to think so - go here.
… Phillip Harpootlian, 30 July, 2007 - 6:28pm login or register to post comments

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