The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family has undergone significant change in recent years. Several subfamilies have been elevated to family rank, and some reduced to lower ranks. The subfamilies listed in this article are in accordance with those in Bouchard (2011).
Dung beetles are beetles that feed on feces. Some species of dung beetles can bury dung 250 times their own mass in one night.
Trogidae, sometimes called hide beetles, is a family of beetles with a distinctive warty or bumpy appearance. Found worldwide, the family includes about 300 species contained in four or five genera.
Phanaeus vindex, the rainbow scarab, is a North American species of true dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in eastern and central United States and in adjacent far northern Mexico. It is the most widespread species of Phanaeus in the United States and it has a wide habitat tolerance. It may hybridize with the generally less common P. difformis.
The scarab beetle subfamily Scarabaeinae consists of species collectively called true dung beetles. 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.
Melolonthinae is a subfamily of the scarab beetles. It is a very diverse group; distributed over most of the world, it contains over 11,000 species in over 750 genera. Some authors include the scarab subfamilies Euchirinae and Pachypodinae as tribes in the Melolonthinae.
Ataenius is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are at least 290 described species in Ataenius.
Aegialiinae is a small subfamily of the family Scarabaeidae. Historically the group has been treated as a tribe within a broad definition of the subfamily Aphodiinae.
Coprini is a tribe of scarab beetles, in the dung beetle subfamily (Scarabaeinae). Scholtz et al. describe them as tunnellers that are shiny black, of moderate to large size and with a strongly convex shape. They also, however state that the grouping based on these characteristics has little phylogenetic validity, and the placement of several genera in this and related tribes is likely to change.
Cartwrightia is a genus of scarab found in Latin America. It was named and circumscribed in 1958 by Federico Islas Salas. As of 2017, three species are recognized: C. intertribalis, C. cartwrighti, and C. islasi. They can be found in the nests of leafcutter ants or in dung.
Cartwrightia cartwrighti is a species of aphodiine scarab found in South America. Oscar L. Cartwright named the species in 1967 after his brother. C. cartwrighti has been recorded in cow dung in pastures and forests.
Phanaeini is a tribe of dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are about 12 genera and 200 described species in Phanaeini. They are native to the Americas with the highest species richness in the Neotropics. They are mostly coprophagous or necrophagous, but some of the least known genera appear to be myrmecophilous. They are medium-sized to large beetles, often with bright metallic colors, and often with horns on their heads.
Geopsammodius is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are about 9 described species in Geopsammodius.
Haroldiataenius is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are about nine described species in Haroldiataenius.
Odontolytes is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are about 19 described species in Odontolytes.
Pseudocanthon is a genus of in the beetle family Scarabaeidae. There are about nine described species in Pseudocanthon.
Aidophus is a genus of aphodiinae dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are about 12 described species in Aidophus.
Parataenius is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are about six described species in Parataenius.
Dialytes is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are about five described species in Dialytes.
Hornietus is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There is one described species in Hornietus, H. ventralis.
