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

Genus Rhyssemus

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Life Cycle · Works Cited
Scarab - Rhyssemus puncticollis Rhyssemus Rhyssemus Rhyssemus sonatus Rhyssemus germanus Rhyssemus germanus Rhyssemus sp. - Rhyssemus Rhyssemus sp. - Rhyssemus
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 Psammodiini
Genus Rhyssemus
Explanation of Names
Rhyssemus Mulsant 1842
Numbers
6 described spp. in our area [+one undescribed sp. in TX(1)], ca. 200 worldwide(2)
Size
2.7-4.2 mm(2)
Identification
Pronotum with 4 grooves and 5 variably developed ridges; laterally and basally with fringe of scale-like setae(2)
key to spp. in Gordon & Cartwright (1980)(3)
Range
Nearly cosmopolitan (absent in S. America); widespread in our area, 2 spp. reach Canada (2)
Habitat
Sandy areas, adults on/in the ground; sometimes come to lights(2)
Life Cycle
asso. w/ fire ant nests in Texas (4)
Works Cited
1.An annotated checklist of the Scarabaeoidea of Texas.
Edward G. Riley & Charles S. Wolfe. 2003. Southwestern Entomologist, Supplement. 37 pp.
2.Skelley P.E. (2008) Aphodiinae. In: Generic guide to New World scarab beetles
3.The Western Hemisphere species of Rhyssemus and Trichiorhyssemus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
Gordon R.D., Cartwright O.L. 1980. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 317: 1-29.
4.Beetles of the genera Myrmecaphodius, Rhyssemus, and Blapstinus in Texas fire ant nests.
Summerlin, J.W. 1978. Southwestern Entomologist 3(1): 27-29.
Contributed by Jeff Gruber on 6 December, 2009 - 8:42pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 5 October, 2015 - 2:35pm

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