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ABSTRACT

A list of 544 species/subspecies of Scarabaeoidea recorded from Texas is presented. Each species on the list is annotated with within-state distributional data by recording its presence in each of seven regions of Texas, or by providing the source for less precise Texas records.

Twelve species on the list are represented by dubious Texas records and are recommended for removal from future tabulations of Texas Coleoptera.

Forty-eight species are documented from Texas for the first time. Aphodius giuliani Gordon, Diplotaxis simplex Blanchard and Phanaeus adonis Harold are recorded from America north of Mexico for the first time.

Phyllophaga opacita Reinhard is placed in synonymy under Phyllophaga arcta (Horn) NEW SYNONYMY.

Sixty-five species are recognized as being recorded only from Texas. Thirty-four of these are not likely to occur outside the state and are identified as Texas endemics. The south Texas plains region is home to more Texas endemics than any other region of the state. Of the genera represented by Texas endemics the genus Phyllophaga is especially well represented with 13 species endemic to Texas.

Riley, E.G. & C.S. Wolfe. 2003. An annotated checklist of the Scarabaeoidea of Texas. Southwestern Entomologist, Supplement, no. 26. 37 pp. Full PDF

Edward G. Riley is the former Associate Curator of the Texas A&M University Insect Collection (TAMUIC).

Of the 65 species not known from outside Texas, 34 of them are here judged to be true Texas endemics, i.e., not likely to occur outside the boundary of the state.

Region 2 Phyllophaga pleroma
Region 3 Bradycinetulus rex, Diplotaxis rex, Anomala tibialis, Ataenius grffini, Phyllophaga ecostata, Phyllophaga riviera, Phyllophaga tusa, Stephanucha annae
Reglon 4 Rhyssemus brownwoodi
Region 5 Aphodius bottimeri, Phyllophaga hamata, Diplotaxis schaefferi
Region 6 Bolbocerosoma elongata, Euphoria casselberryi, Phyllophaga bottimeri, Phyllophaga gaigei, Phyllophaga planeta, Phyllophaga psiloptera