British Insects: the Families of Coleoptera
British Insects: the Families of Coleoptera | |
~Scarabeidae-Aphodiinae.
General appearance. 2.6–20 mm long. Elytral length/pronotal length 1.79–2.55. Base of prothorax not or scarcely narrower than the combined elytral bases. Greatest prothoracic width not narrower or only slightly narrower than the greatest elytral width. Beetles oval to elongate-oval; dorsally somewhat convex to dorsally strongly convex; not necked; somewhat waisted to conspicuously waisted. Upper surfaces of body glabrous or subglabrous, or non-glabrous; not bristly; exhibiting scales or scale-like setae, or with neither scales nor scale-like setae.
Detailed morphology. Inclination of the head slight to strong (the labrum and mouthparts concealed beneath the fronto-clypeus). Eyes not strongly protuberant; without bristles; finely facetted. Antennae very short to short; strongly asymmetric; conspicuously elbowed, or not elbowed; 9 segmented. Antennal scape not swollen. Antennae clubbed. Antennal clubs lamellate; 3–7 segmented. Antennal insertions hidden from above. Mandibular prosthecae well developed.
Pronotal length/maximum pronotal width 0.55–0.85. Prothorax without notopleural sutures. Metaventrite without a transverse groove. Hind coxae not shaped posteriorly to receive the femur. Tarsal segmentation formula 5, 5, 5. The tarsi without bilobed segments; without ‘hidden’ segments. The front tarsi present and well developed; front tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; front tarsi 5-segmented. Mid-leg tarsi 5-segmented; pentamerous. The claws of the mid-leg tarsi not appendaged. The claws of the mid-leg tarsi simple; with an empodium between them (but this with no more than two setae). Hind tarsi with as many segments as the mid-tarsi; 5-segmented. Elytral length/maximum width across the elytra 1.13–1.64. Elytra covering most to all of the abdomen; exposing no more than part of the terminal tergite (none at all, according to most interpretations of this group). The pygidium entirely concealed by the ends of the elytra even when viewed from behind (unlike Scarabaeidae sensu stricto). Elytra glossy. Scutellary striole absent. Wings well developed.
Exposed abdominal sternites 6; comprising both fused and movable components, or all fused and immovable; immovably joined 5–6. Abdominal segment 8 apparently without functional spiracles.
Habitat, ecology. In living vegetation, or in decaying plant material, or associated with dung.
General comments. The hind tibiae with two terminal spurs.
Larvae. Larvae on living vegetation, or in decaying plant material, or in dung.
Classification. Suborder Polyphaga; Superfamily Scarabaeoidea.
British representation. Genera 8; Aphodius, Psammobius, etc. About 50 species; e.g., Aphodius villosus (Hairy Aphodius); Aphodius distinctus; Psammobius asper (Channel-necked Psammodius).
Illustrations. • Aphodius villosus (Hairy Aphodius: B. Ent. 027). • Aphodius villosus: B. Ent. 027, legend+text. • Aphodius villosus: B. Ent. 027, text cont.. • Psammobius asper (Channel-necked Psammobius: B. Ent. 258). • Psammobius asper (details, B. Ent. 258). • Psammobius asper: B. Ent. 258, legend+text. • Aphodius (10 spp.), Colobopterus (3 spp.): Fowler 4, 100 (1890). • Fowler 4, 100 (1890): original legend.. • Aphodius (12 spp.), Oxyomus sylvestris (as O. porcatus): Fowler 4, 101 (1890). • Fowler 4, 101 (1890): original legend.. • Aphodius distinctus (Rye & Fowler VIII3).
To view the illustrations with detailed captions, go to the interactive key. This also offers full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects: the families of Coleoptera. Version: 6th December 2011. http://delta-intkey.com’.
