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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Scarabaeoidea » Scarab Beetles (Scarabaeidae) » Dung Beetles (Scarabaeinae) » Phanaeini » Rainbow Scarabs (Phanaeus) » Phanaeus difformis

Species Phanaeus difformis

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Works Cited

Phanaeus difformis LeConte - Phanaeus difformis - male

Rainbow Scarab - Phanaeus vindex Male - Phanaeus difformis - male

Phanaeus difformis? taken in Dilley, TX - Phanaeus difformis - male

Rainbow Scarab - Phanaeus vindex - Phanaeus difformis

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 Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles)

Tribe Phanaeini

Genus Phanaeus (Rainbow Scarabs)

Species difformis (Phanaeus difformis)

Explanation of Names

Phanaeus difformis LeConte 1847

Size

13-23 mm (1)

Identification

MAJOR MALES: vindex -vs- difformis depicted are easier to differentiate than minor males (w/ short horns) and females (w/ very short horns).

major male:

- note, colors variable

minor male:

female:

Range

sc US (eNM-wLA-sKS-seCO) / ne Mex. - Map (1)(2), mostly: e.NM-TX-OK

Habitat

especially common along the coastal plains of TX and adj. LA, also along major river drainage systems (1)

Season

mostly: Apr-Oct (1)

Life Cycle

may hybridize with P. vindex (1)

Remarks

much less common than P. vindex (BG data)

See Also

Phanaeus vindex MacLeay

Major and Minor Male

- Range: e US to AZ

Print References

Blume, R.R. and A. Aga. 1976. Phanaeus difformis LeConte (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): clarification of published descriptions, notes on biology, and distribution in Texas. The Coleopterists Bulletin, 30(2): 199-205.

Blume, R.R. and A. Aga. 1978. Observations on ecological and phylogenetic relationships of Phanaeus difformis LeConte and Phanaeus vindex MacLeay (Coleopetera: Scarabaeidae) in North America. Southwestern Entomologist 3: 113-120.

LeConte, J.L. 1847. Fragmenta entomologica. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (2)1: 71-93.

Works Cited

1.	Revision of Phanaeus MacLeay, A New World genus of scarabaeine dung beetles Edmonds, W.D. 1994. 1994. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Contributions to Science 443.

2.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Contributed by Phillip Harpootlian on 5 November, 2007 - 8:38am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Mike Quinn
Last updated 4 March, 2023 - 3:26pm

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