Chafers
Guides
Scarabaeoidea
Scarabs, Stag Beetles, Dung Beetles, Fruit and Flower Chafers
Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles comprising approximately 35,000 described species, with around 200 new species described annually. It is the sole superfamily within the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. The group includes diverse families such as Scarabaeidae (scarabs, dung beetles, chafers), Lucanidae (stag beetles), Geotrupidae (earth-boring scarabs), and Bolboceratidae. Many species exhibit distinctive circularly polarized light reflection from their cuticles, produced by helicoidal stacks of chitin microfibrils. The superfamily is currently undergoing taxonomic revision at the family level.