Insects of Britain and Ireland: Coleoptera-Scarabaeoidea (dung beetles and chafers)

L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz

Conventional key

If you are serious about identification, you should use the interactive key. It is far superior, with flexible choice of characters, character notes and illustrations, error tolerance, full taxon descriptions, and taxon illustrations.

1(0).

Antennae 5 to 8 segmented ... 2 Antennae 9 to 10 segmented... 4 Antennae 11 segmented ... Geotrupidae

2(1).

Antennae conspicuously elbowed; beetles prognathous; antennae with the scape much-elongated ... Lucanidae Antennae not elbowed; beetles not prognathous; antennae without a much-elongated scape (though it is often longer than the second segment)... 3

3(2).

The labrum at least partly visible in antero-dorsal view; antennal insertions hidden from above; the front tarsi present and well developed; the claws of the mid-leg tarsi one-toothed or bifid; adults on living vegetation ... Scarabaeidae-Melolonthinae The labrum concealed beneath the clypeus; antennal insertions visible from above; the front tarsi reduced or absent; the claws of the mid-leg tarsi simple; adults associated with dung ... Scarabaeidae-Scarabaeinae

4(1).

Antennae conspicuously elbowed; beetles prognathous ... Lucanidae Antennae not elbowed; beetles not prognathous... 5

5(4).

The mid-leg cavities open laterally; abdominal sternites 6 to 7; the male external genitalia bilobate ... 6 The mid-leg cavities closed laterally; abdominal sternites 5; the male external genitalia trilobate ... Trogidae

6(5).

Wings with an anal lobe ... Scarabaeidae-Aphodiinae Wings without an anal lobe... 7

7(6).

Scutellum conspicuous ... 8 Scutellum highly reduced... 11 Scutellum absent ... Scarabaeidae-Scarabaeinae

8(7).

The fore-leg coxal cavities internally open ... 9 The fore-leg coxal cavities broadly closed internally ... Scarabaeidae-Hopliinae

9(8).

Tarsal claws equal ... 10 Tarsal claws unequal ... Scarabaeidae-Rutelinae

10(9).

The labrum at least partly visible in antero-dorsal view; the claws of the mid-leg tarsi one-toothed or bifid; the larvae C-shaped in lateral view; larvae phytophagous ... Scarabaeidae-Melolonthinae The labrum concealed beneath the clypeus; the claws of the mid-leg tarsi simple; the larvae not C-shaped; larvae consuming decaying plant material ... Scarabaeidae-Cetoniinae

11(7).

The hind tibiae with one apical spur; the front tarsi reduced or absent; adults associated with dung; adults coprophagous; the larvae C-shaped in lateral view ... Scarabaeidae-Scarabaeinae The hind tibiae with two apical spurs; the front tarsi present and well developed; adults on living vegetation; adults phytophagous; the larvae not C-shaped ... Scarabaeidae-Cetoniinae

We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, 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. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.

Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2012 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: Coleoptera-Scarabaeoidea (dung beetles and chafers). Version: 27th July 2019. delta-intkey.com’.

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