Scarabaeidae

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Scarab beetle
Reitter-1908 table74.jpg
Central European scarab beetles
with some anatomical details. Edmund Reitter's Fauna Germanica, 1908
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Scarabaeiformia
Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea
Family: Scarabaeidae
Latreille, 1802
Subfamilies [1] [2] [3]
On this high quality closeup, head anatomic details are well visible. Portrait of Beelte from Scarabaeidae family.jpg
On this high quality closeup, head anatomic details are well visible.

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 (e.g., Bolboceratidae, Geotrupidae, Glaresidae, Glaphyridae, Hybosoridae, Ochodaeidae, and Pleocomidae), and some reduced to lower ranks. The subfamilies listed in this article are in accordance with those in Catalog of Life (2023). [3]

Contents

Description

Sacred scarab in a cartouche of Thutmosis III from Karnak temple of Amun-Ra, Egypt Scarab Cartouche of Thutmosis III from Karnak.JPG
Sacred scarab in a cartouche of Thutmosis III from Karnak temple of Amun-Ra, Egypt

Scarabs are stout-bodied beetles; most are brown or black in colour, but many, generally species that are diurnally active, have bright metallic colours, measuring between 1.5 and 160 mm (0.059 and 6.3 in). The antennae of most species superficially seem to be knobbed (capitated), but the several segments comprising the head of the antenna are, as a rule, lamellate; they extend laterally into plates called lamellae that they usually keep compressed into a ball. Then, when following a scent, such a beetle fans the lamellae out like leaves to sense odours.

Many species are fossorial, with legs adapted for digging. In some groups, males (and sometimes females) have prominent horns on the head and/or pronotum to fight over mates or resources. [4] The largest fossil scarabaeid was Oryctoantiquus borealis with a length of 50 mm (2.0 in). [5]

A scarab beetle grub from Australia. Curl grub.jpg
A scarab beetle grub from Australia.

The C-shaped larvae, called grubs, are pale yellow or white. Most adult beetles are nocturnal, although the flower chafers (Cetoniinae) and many leaf chafers (Rutelinae) are active during the day. The grubs mostly live underground or under debris, so are not exposed to sunlight. Many scarabs are scavengers that recycle dung, carrion, or decaying plant material. [6] Others, such as the Japanese beetle, are plant-eaters, wreaking havoc on various crops and vegetation.

Some of the well-known beetles from the Scarabaeidae are Japanese beetles, dung beetles, June beetles, rose chafers (Australian, European, and North American), rhinoceros beetles, Hercules beetles, and Goliath beetles.

Several members of this family have structurally coloured shells which act as left-handed circular polarizers; this was the first-discovered example of circular polarization in nature. [7]

Ancient Egypt

In Ancient Egypt, the dung beetle now known as Scarabaeus sacer (formerly Ateuchus sacer) was revered as sacred. [8] Egyptian amulets representing the sacred scarab beetles were traded throughout the Mediterranean world. [4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bouchard, Patrice; Bousquet, Yves; Davies, Anthony E.; Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A.; et al. (2011). "Family-group names in Coleoptera (Insecta)". ZooKeys (88): 1–972. Bibcode:2011ZooK...88....1B. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.88.807 . ISSN   1313-2989. PMC   3088472 . PMID   21594053.
  2. ↑ Dietz, Lars; Seidel, Matthias; Eberle, Jonas; Misof, Bernhard; et al. (2023). "A transcriptome-based phylogeny of Scarabaeoidea confirms the sister group relationship of dung beetles and phytophagous pleurostict scarabs (Coleoptera)". Systematic Entomology. 48 (4): 672–686. Bibcode:2023SysEn..48..672D. doi: 10.1111/syen.12602 .
  3. 1 2 "Scarabaeidae Latreille, 1802". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  4. 1 2 bugguide.net Family Scarabaeidae - Scarab Beetles
  5. ↑ Brett Ratcliffe, Dena M. Smith, Diane Marie Erwin. "Oryctoantiquus borealis, New Genus and Species from the Eocene of Oregon, U.S.A., the World's Oldest Fossil Dynastine and Largest Fossil Scarabaeid (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae)". 2009. The Coleopterists Bulletin 59(Mar 2005):127-135 DOI:10.1649/0010-065X(2005)059[0127:OBNGAS]2.0.CO;2
  6. ↑ Marcos Paulo Gomes Gonçalves (2017). "Relação Entre Tempo e Besouros em Mata de Cocal" [Relationship Between Meteorological Conditions and Beetles in Mata de Cocal]. Revista Brasileira de Meteorologia (in Portuguese). 32 (4): 543–554. doi: 10.1590/0102-7786324003 .
  7. ↑ A. A. Michelson (1911). "On metallic colourings in birds and insects". Philosophical Magazine . 21 (124): 554–567. doi:10.1080/14786440408637061.
  8. ↑ Netzley, Patricia D. (2009-06-25). Ancient Egypt. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 260. ISBN   978-0-7377-4634-1. The scarab (Scarabaeus sacer) is a species of dung beetle that was considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians. In particular, the insect symbolized rebirth and was commonly associated with solar gods of creation, such as Khepri and Re.

Further reading

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