The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 35,000 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 Catalog of Life (2023).
Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year. Its constituent families are also undergoing revision presently, and the family list below is only preliminary. This superfamily includes some of the largest beetles extant today, including rhinoceros beetles, (Dynastinae), the Hercules beetle and Goliath beetles.
The Hercules beetle is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the rainforests of southern Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles. It is the longest extant species of beetle in the world, and is also one of the largest flying insects in the world.
Dynastinae or rhinoceros beetles are a subfamily of the scarab beetle family (Scarabaeidae). Other common names – some for particular groups of rhinoceros beetles – include Hercules beetles, unicorn beetles or horn beetles. Over 1500 species and 225 genera of rhinoceros beetles are known.
Dynastes tityus, the eastern Hercules beetle, is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the Eastern United States. The adult's elytra are green, gray or tan, with black markings, and the whole animal, including the male's horns, may reach 60 mm (2.4 in) in length. The larvae feed on decaying wood from various trees.
Megaceras briansaltini, named in honor of Brian Saltin, son of entomologist Jochen-P. Saltin, is a Peruvian rhinoceros beetle with a horn surprisingly similar to that of the character Dim from Pixar's animated film, A Bug's Life, previously unseen in nature. It remains unclear whether this is a natural feature or an uncommon mutation, as only one specimen has been found.
Dynastes hyllus is a large scarab beetle species that ranges from Mexico to Guatemala. Its larvae have been found to associate with the logs of Persea americana.
Dynastes satanas, the Satanas beetle, is a species of beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae. The name is sometimes misspelled as "satanus".
The western Hercules beetle is a species of rhinoceros beetle that lives in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah in the United States and in parts of northern Mexico. This species is known for its grayish-white elytra, large size, and characteristic horn of the adult males.
The Moellenkampi beetle, is one of four large species of rhinoceros beetles from Southeast Asia belonging to the genus Chalcosoma. The Moellenkampi beetles belong to the beetle family Scarabaeidae along with other rhinoceros beetles. They are characterized by having two large, forward-projecting horns on the pronotum or thorax, and another large, forward and upward-projecting horn on the head. They also have a distinct metallic lustre, which is the reason behind their genus name, which derives from Greek, chalko-, and is the combining form of chalkós, meaning copper.
Chalcosoma chiron is a species of beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. This species can be found from Malaysia south into Indonesia and Thailand in East region. It was formerly known as Chalcosoma caucasus, a name which is a junior synonym and not valid.
Inca clathratus is a species of flower chafer in the family Scarabaeidae, indigenous to Central and South America. These beetles can be seen surrounding the sap flows from injured or diseased trees anytime in the day and sometimes at night. They mostly feed at the sap flows of the trees, including avocado and mango trees. Like other beetles they also feed off of rotting fruit. There are a few different subspecies of Inca clathratus including: Inca clathratus sommeri, Inca clathratus clathratus, and Inca clathratus quesneli. The species name has been frequently misspelled as "clathrata" but the genus name Inca is masculine.
Dynastes moroni is a large scarab beetle endemic to the Sierra de los Tuxtlas region in Mexico.
Margarinotus ephemeralis is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae. It is currently only known from southern California.
Caccobius unicornis, is a species of dung beetle found in many Asian and South East Asian countries such as: India, Sri Lanka, China, Java, Borneo, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Myanmar, North Vietnam, Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indochina.
Pseudaspidimerus mauliki, is a species of lady beetle native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Java.
Telegeusinae is a small subfamily of beetles in the family Omethidae recognizable by enlarged palpi found in males. Though relatively rare, males are sometimes found in large numbers in black light traps. Females are not known in this group, but it is theorized that females are larviform as found in many closely related taxa.
Dynastes neptunus is a beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. D. neptunus is very simular to the Hercules beetle but differs from it in slightly larger size and more of a slender and curved horns.
Oryctoantiquus is a genus of middle Eocene beetles in the Dynastinae clade.
