Onthophagus is a genus of dung beetles in the Onthophagini tribe of the wider scarab beetle family, Scarabaeidae.[4] It is the most species-rich and widespread genus in the subfamily Scarabaeinae (the 'true' dung beetles), with a global distribution.

Onthophagus
Onthophagus nuchicornis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Tribe: Onthophagini
Genus: Onthophagus
Latreille, 1802 [1][2]
Synonyms[3]
  • Macropocopris Arrow, 1920
  • Pauronthophagus Blackwelder, 1844
Gazella scarab (Onthophagus gazella) males; note variation in horn size

Etymology

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The Genus name derives from the Greek onthos, meaning dung, and phagos, meaning eater.[5]

Taxonomy

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This genus includes around 30 subgenera and over 2,200 species.[1][6] Some of the former subgenera of Onthophagus (including Proagoderus, Diastellopalpus, Digitonthophagus, and Euonthophagus) are now widely recognized as genera.[7]

Subgenera

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These subgenera are in accordance with the Catalog of Life and the World Scarabaeidae Database (2023).[6]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Sergey I. Tarasov & Oleg N. Kabakov (2010). "Two new species of Onthophagus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Indochina, with a discussion of some problems with the classification of Serrophorus and similar subgenera" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2344: 17–28. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2344.1.2.
  2. ^ Kharel, BP; Schoolmeester, P; Sarkar, SK (2020). "A first faunistic account on the Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) of the Nadia district, West Bengal, with a preliminary checklist from India". Check List. 16 (2). doi:10.15560/16.2.361.
  3. ^ "Onthophagus". GBIF. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  4. ^ "Onthophagus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  5. ^ "Genus Onthophagus". BugGuide. John VanDyk. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Onthophagus Latreille, 1802". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  7. ^ Philips, T. Keith (11 April 2016). "Phylogeny of the Oniticellini and Onthophagini dung beetles (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) from morphological evidence". ZooKeys (579): 9–57. doi:10.3897/zookeys.579.6183. PMC 4829968. PMID 27110200. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
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