Specimen image via iDigBio · CC0
Scarabaeinae
Sign in to saveThe scarab beetle subfamily Scarabaeinae consists of species collectively called true dung beetles (there are also dung beetles in other subfamilies and families). Most of the beetles of this subfamily feed exclusively on dung. However, some may feed on decomposing matter including carrion, decaying fruits and fungi. Dung beetles can be placed into three structural guilds based on their method of dung processing namely rollers (telecoprids), dwellers (endocoprids) and tunnelers (paracoprids). Dung removal and burial by dung beetles result in ecological benefits such as soil aeration and fertil
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 117
- With media
- 1
- Family
- Scarabaeidae
- Collections
- UMNH, ASU, TTU, UCSB
- Recorded in
- United States, Mexico
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Scarabaeidae
- Image
- Copris lunaris. MHNT.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Scarabaeinae
- taxon name
- Scarabaeinae
- taxon rank
- subfamily
- topic's main category
- Category:Scarabaeinae
- taxon common name
- skarabeji
via Wikidata · CC0
~7 min read
Encyclopedic overview
11 sectionsContents
- Description
- Guilds
- Reproduction
- Ecology
- Taxonomy
- Tribes with a global distribution
- Predominantly Old World (New World presence likely represents rather recent dispersal)
- Old World
- New World
- References
- External links
The scarab beetle subfamily Scarabaeinae consists of species collectively called true dung beetles (there are also dung beetles in other subfamilies and families). Most of the beetles of this subfamily feed exclusively on dung. However, some may feed on decomposing matter including carrion, decaying fruits and fungi. Dung beetles can be placed into three structural guilds based on their method of dung processing namely rollers (telecoprids), dwellers (endocoprids) and tunnelers (paracoprids). Dung removal and burial by dung beetles result in ecological benefits such as soil aeration and fertilization; improved nutrient cycling and uptake by plants, increase in pasture quality, biological control of pest flies and intestinal parasites and secondary seed dispersal. Well-known members include the genera Scarabaeus and Sisyphus, and Phanaeus vindex.
== Description ==
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Scarabaeinae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.