Onthophagus striatulus

(Palisot de Beauvois, 1809)

Lined Dung Beetle

Onthophagus striatulus is a of in the , commonly known as the Lined Dung Beetle. The species occurs in North America, with documented records from Québec, Canada. Two are recognized: Onthophagus striatulus striatulus (the nominate subspecies) and Onthophagus striatulus floridanus. As a member of the Onthophagus, it shares the characteristic tunneling typical of this diverse group of dung beetles.

Onthophagus striatulus by (c) Kyle Rossner, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kyle Rossner. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Onthophagus striatulus: //ɒnˈθɒfəɡəs straɪˈætjʊləs//

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Identification

The specific epithet "striatulus" refers to lined or striated surface features, suggesting the may exhibit distinct longitudinal markings on the or . Definitive identification requires examination of male and comparison with closely related Onthophagus species. The two recognized , O. s. striatulus and O. s. floridanus, are distinguished by geographic distribution and subtle morphological differences, with the latter described from Florida.

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Distribution

North America. Documented from Québec, Canada. The Onthophagus striatulus floridanus occurs in Florida, while the nominate subspecies O. s. striatulus has broader distribution.

Similar Taxa

Onthophagus hecateBoth are small North Onthophagus that may occur in similar , but O. hecate males possess a distinctive broad, forked horn projecting from the , which O. striatulus lacks.
Other Onthophagus speciesThe Onthophagus contains over 2,000 globally, many with overlapping distributions in North America. Accurate identification of O. striatulus requires examination of diagnostic characters including male and surface patterns.

More Details

Subspecies

Two are recognized: Onthophagus striatulus striatulus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1809), the nominate form, and Onthophagus striatulus floridanus Blatchley, 1928, described from Florida.