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Family Hybosoridae - Scavenger Scarab Beetles

Representative Images

Scarab - Hybosorus illigeri Round Fungus Beetle - Ceratocanthus aeneus Hybosorus illigeri(?) - Hybosorus illigeri Pill Scarab Beetle - Germarostes aphodioides Ceratocanthus aeneus (MacLeay) - Ceratocanthus aeneus Burgundy 'n' Black - Hybosorus illigeri Small Dung Beetle - Germarostes aphodioides Small Dung Beetle - Germarostes aphodioides

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
Superfamily Scarabaeoidea
Family Hybosoridae (Scavenger Scarab Beetles)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

The ceratocanthines and hybosorids were traditionally treated as subfamilies of the Scarabaeidae; both were treated as separate families in(1) but are now combined (Ocampo 2006)

Explanation of Names

Hybosoridae Erichson 1847

Numbers

5 spp. in 4 genera of 3 subfamilies in our area, ~600 spp. in ~70 genera of 5 subfamilies worldwide(2)
Our fauna:
Hybosorinae: Hybosorus illigeri, so. US (SC-CA)
Pachyplectrinae: Pachyplectrus laevis, sw. US
Ceratocanthinae:
Ceratocanthus aeneus, se. US
Germarostes (Germarostes) 2 spp., e. US & so.ON

Size

3-7 mm

Identification

The mandibles projecting in front of clypeus and the antenna with 'cupped' club or can roll into distinct ball [Ceratocanthinae]
Larvae described in(3)
Antennomeres of antennal club capable of being closed together. Antennal club with 3 antennomeres, first hollowed out to receive second.

Print References

(4)

Works Cited

1.American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea
Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
2.Generic Guide to New World Scarab Beetles (by Brett Ratcliffe and Mary Liz Jameson)
3.Larvae of Ceratocanthidae and Hybosoridae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): study of morphology, phylogenetic analysis...
Grebennikov V.V., Ballerio A., Ocampo F.C., Scholtz C.H. 2004. Systematic Entomology 29: 524–543.
4.Phylogenetic analysis of the scarab family Hybosoridae and monographic revision of the New World subfamily Anaidinae...
Ocampo F.C. 2006. Bull. U. Nebraska State Mus. 19. 210pp.
Contributed by Jim McClarin on 20 November, 2006 - 5:16am
Additional contributions by Phillip Harpootlian, v belov, Arturo Santos
Last updated 29 September, 2021 - 3:18am

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