Phanaeus (beetle)

This article is about the genus of beetles. For the Apollo Greco-Roman epithets, see Phanaeus (epithet).

Phanaeus
male Phanaeus vindex
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Tribe: Phanaeini
Genus: Phanaeus
MacLeay, 1819

Phanaeus, the rainbow scarabs,[1] is a genus of true dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles), ranging from the United States to northern Argentina, with the highest species richness in Mexico.[2][3] Depending on species, they can inhabit a wide range of habitats, from tropical to temperate climates and deserts to rainforests. In those living in relatively arid places adults are primarily active during the wet season and those living in relatively cold places are primarily active during the summer.[4] They are excellent diggers and good fliers.[4]

They are up to about 2.5 cm (1 in) long and most (but not all) species have bright metallic colors with males having a horn on their head and/or one or two spikes on the pronotum.[2][3] Males of several species occur in two distinct morphs, referred to as "major" and "minor", that differ in body size and size/presence of horn/spikes.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Genus Phanaeus - Rainbow Scarabs". BugGuide. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Price, D.L.; May, M.L. (2009). "Behavioral ecology of Phanaeus dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): review and new observations". Acta Zoológica Mexicana. 25 (1). doi:10.21829/azm.2009.251621.
  3. ^ a b c Zídek, J.; Edmonds, W.D. (2012). "Taxonomy of Phanaeus revisited: Revised keys to and comments on species of the New World dung beetle genus Phanaeus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Phanaeini)". Insecta Mundi. 2012 (274): 1–108. doi:10.5281/zenodo.5182095.
  4. ^ a b Edmonds, W.D. (1994). "Revision of Phanaeus Macleay, a New World genus of Scarabaeine dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)". Contributions in Science. 443: 1–105. doi:10.5962/p.208079. S2CID 90679530.