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. Several groups formerly treated as 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).
The common cockchafer, also colloquially known as the Maybug, Maybeetle, or doodlebug, is a species of scarab beetle belonging to the genus Melolontha. It is native to Europe, and it is one of several closely-related and morphologically similar species of Melolontha called cockchafers, alongside Melolontha hippocastani.
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 1,500 species and 225 genera of rhinoceros beetles are known.
Dynastes is a genus of large beetles belonging to the family Scarabaeidae. They occur in the Nearctic realm and in the Neotropical realm, from the United States to Brazil; four North American species, three with distributions extending from Central America either north or south, and two species endemic to South America.
Scarabaeus sacer, common name sacred scarab, is the type species of the genus Scarabaeus and the family Scarabaeidae. This dung beetle is native of southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, and it was venerated in ancient Egypt.
Cotinis nitida, commonly known as the green June beetle, June bug or June beetle, is a beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in the eastern United States and Canada, where it is most abundant in the South. It is sometimes confused with the related southwestern species figeater beetle Cotinis mutabilis, which is less destructive.
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.
Xylotrupes gideon, the brown rhinoceros beetle, is a species of large scarab beetle belonging to the subfamily Dynastinae.
Diplotaxis is a large genus of scarab beetles in the subfamily Melolonthinae. There are at least 250 described species in the genus Diplotaxis distributed over North and Central America.
Digitonthophagus gazella is a species of scarab beetle. It belongs to the genus Digitonthophagus, which was promoted from subgenus to genus level in 1959. There has been some confusion regarding the application of the names with many people using the outdated name Onthophagus gazella. Dung beetle experts use the term Digitonthophagus gazella.
Lamprima aurata, the golden stag beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae. In Tasmania, this species is referred to by the common name of Christmas beetle, a name that is normally used for beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, genus Anoplognathus.
Hoplia is a genus of monkey beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. There are at least 300 described species in Hoplia. These species are found in Asia, Europe, South Africa, Madagascar, and the Americas.
Anoplognathus brunnipennis, commonly known as the brown- or golden-brown Christmas beetle, is a beetle of the family Scarabaeidae native to eastern Australia, being common in coastal Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, the Great Dividing Range and the Murray-Darling river basin.
Cyclocephala nodanotherwon is a species of rhinoceros beetle in the scarab family. It has only been found in Amazonas, Brazil. Brett C. Ratcliffe described and named the species in 1992.
Dichelonyx is a genus of May beetles and junebugs in the family Scarabaeidae. There are at least 30 described species in Dichelonyx.
Macrodactylus, known as rose chafers, are a genus in the family Scarabaeidae. There are at least 110 described species in Macrodactylus.
Ligyrus gibbosus, the carrot beetle, is a species of rhinoceros beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. Adults are 13–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long, dark reddish-brown to black, and larvae are white with a dark head. It feeds on roots, grasses, and decaying vegetation in the soil, and is a pest of sunflowers and other crops.
Cockchafer is a common name for several species of plant eating scarab beetles regarded as agricultural pests. It is most commonly used for several European species of the genus Melolontha:
