Species Phanaeus vindex - Rainbow Scarab

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Life Cycle · Print References · Works Cited

Phanaeus vindex MacLeay - Phanaeus vindex - male

Phanaeus vindex male - Phanaeus vindex - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles)

Family Scarabaeidae (Scarab Beetles)

Subfamily Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles)

Tribe Phanaeini

Genus Phanaeus (Rainbow Scarabs)

Species vindex (Rainbow Scarab)

Explanation of Names

Phanaeus (Phanaeus) vindex MacLeay 1819

vindex 'defender' (1)

Size

11-22 mm(2)

Identification

Pronotum coppery red, elytra green. Pronotum of "major" male has sharp posterior angles.

Major males, depicted, are easier to differentiate than minor males (w/ short horns) and females (w/ very short horns).

Range

e US to AZ (ME-FL to NE-AZ); n. Mexico(2) (the most widespread Phanaeus in the US)

Habitat

broad ecological parameters from Sonoran Desert to subtropical Florida to New England(2)

Life Cycle

may hybridize with P. difformis(2)

Print References

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

Works Cited

1.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.

2.	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.

Contributed by Cotinis on 2 August, 2004 - 9:04pm
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, Phillip Harpootlian, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 28 May, 2021 - 9:24pm

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