Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Ataenius platensis

Coleoptera - Ataenius platensis BG2697 E6390 - Ataenius platensis Ataenius platensis Aphodiine Dung Beetle - Ataenius platensis Aphodiine Dung Beetle - Ataenius platensis Aphodiine Dung Beetle - Ataenius platensis small dung beetle - Ataenius? - Ataenius platensis Aphodiine Dung Beetle - Ataenius platensis
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)
Tribe Eupariini
Genus Ataenius
Species platensis (Ataenius platensis)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Ataenius platensis (Blanchard)
Orig. Comb: Oxyomus platensis Blanchard 1846
Size
Length 3–5 mm (1)
Identification
Range
CA-FL-NC-IN to Argentina / W. Indies - Map (2)(3), mostly se US
Food
Adults are occasionally collected in cow dung, but that may not be the preferred larval food. (1)
Remarks
attracted to lights, often extremely abundant in collections (1) (emphasis added)
There seems to be a connection between human activities and the abundance of this species. (1)
Print References
Smith, A.B.T. and P.E. Skelley. 2007. A review of the Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of southern South America. Zootaxa 1458: 1-80. (1)
Works Cited
1.A review of the Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of southern South America.
Smith, A.B.T. and P.E. Skelley. 2007. Zootaxa 1458: 1-80.
2. A distributional checklist of the beetles (Coleoptera) of Florida.
Peck & Thomas. 1998. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville. 180 pp.
3.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)