Scarab beetles

Definition

Members of the beetle family Scarabaeidae (order Coleoptera), a diverse group of more than 35,000 species characterized by lamellate, clubbed antennae and often robust, oval bodies. The family includes dung beetles, June beetles, chafers, and rhinoceros beetles. Taxonomic boundaries have shifted substantially in recent revisions, with several former subfamilies elevated to family rank.

Etymology

From Latin scarabaeus, referring to beetles in general and especially sacred beetles of antiquity

Example

The African dung beetle Kheper nigroaeneus and the North American June beetle Phyllophaga anxia both belong to Scarabaeidae, though they occupy divergent ecological niches—one specializing in dung burial, the other in root-feeding.

Synonyms

• scarabs

Related Terms

• lamellate antennae
• Coleoptera
• Dung beetles
• Scarabaeoidea
• chafer
• elytron
• Metamorphosis
• scarabaeiform larva

Usage Notes

The common name is applied broadly to Scarabaeidae sensu lato, but specialists increasingly restrict it following molecular phylogenetic revisions that have split the traditional family. Former subfamilies such as Geotrupidae (earth-boring dung beetles) and Lucanidae (stag beetles) are now often treated as separate families, though they remain in Scarabaeoidea. The term retains strong cultural associations with ancient Egyptian scarab amulets, which were modeled on dung beetles of the genus Scarabaeus.