Scarab-beetle
Guides
Pseudocotalpa andrewsi
Andrew's Dune Scarab Beetle, Andrews dune scarab beetle, Andrews dune beetle
Pseudocotalpa andrewsi is a species of shining leaf chafer in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as Andrew's Dune Scarab Beetle. It belongs to a small genus of ruteline scarabs. The specific epithet and common name honor an individual named Andrews. As a member of the Rutelinae subfamily, it shares characteristics with other shining leaf chafers, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented in published literature.
Rhysothorax rufus
Rhysothorax rufus is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aegialiinae. It has been recorded across the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions, with documented occurrences in Europe from Belgium to Russia, and in North America from Canada through the northern United States. The species was described by Fabricius in 1792. Available records indicate broad geographic distribution but limited observational data.
Rugaphodius
Rugaphodius is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Gordon and Skelley in 2007. The genus belongs to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly known as small dung beetles or aphodiine dung beetles. Very limited information is available about this genus, with only one observation recorded in iNaturalist as of the source data.
Rutela formosa
handsome flower scarab
Rutela formosa, commonly known as the handsome flower scarab, is a species of shining leaf chafer in the family Scarabaeidae. The species belongs to the subfamily Rutelinae, a group of scarab beetles often noted for their metallic coloration. It occurs across the Neotropical region and extends into the southeastern United States.
Scoliidae
Scoliid Wasps, Mammoth Wasps
Scoliidae is a family of solitary aculeate wasps comprising approximately 300-560 described species worldwide. They are robust, often large-bodied wasps with distinctive corrugated wing tips. Females are parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae, using their stings to paralyze hosts before depositing eggs. The family exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism: males have longer antennae and more slender bodies, while females possess shorter antennae and true stingers. Scoliids are considered beneficial insects due to their role in controlling scarab pest populations.
Serica fimbriata
Serica fimbriata is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, distributed in western North America and Central America. Adults are small, measuring approximately 10.5 mm in length, with distinctive chestnut-brown coloration and dense velvety pubescence. The species is notable for its fimbriate (fringed) pronotal and elytral margins bearing long, stiff, fulvous hairs. Adults feed on flowers of several plant species including Lotus scoparius, Eriogonum fasciculatum, and Adenostoma species.
Serica georgiana
Serica georgiana is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Leng in 1911. Adults measure approximately 9.5 mm in length and exhibit variable coloration ranging from pale to very dark chestnut, with a polished, shining surface. The species occurs across much of eastern North America, with two recognized subspecies showing distinct geographic distributions.
Serica howdeni
Serica howdeni is a small scarab beetle described by Dawson in 1967. Adults measure approximately 8 mm in length and are characterized by a dark brown, glabrous, and shining exosurface densely covered with moderate-sized punctures. The species is known only from Texas in the southern United States.
Serica intermixta
Mid-June Beetle
Serica intermixta is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as the Mid-June Beetle. Adults are small, oblong, and convex with smooth, shining bodies ranging in color from dull brownish-yellow to chestnut-brown or black. The species has a broad distribution across North America, with records from most of the United States and Canada, and has also been documented in Germany. Specific ecological details about this species remain poorly documented in available sources.
Serica iricolor
Serica iricolor is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is characterized by its dark, iridescent coloration and dense rusty hairs on the pronotum. The species is found in eastern North America, with records spanning from Florida north to New England and west to Ohio and Tennessee. It belongs to a large genus of chafers whose larvae typically feed on plant roots.
Serica ligulata
Serica ligulata is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Dawson in 1932. Adults measure approximately 9.5 mm in length and are characterized by their chocolate brown, glabrous, sub-shining appearance. The species is endemic to California, with two recognized subspecies: S. l. ligulata and S. l. praetermissa. Subspecies praetermissa has been documented feeding on specific host plants including Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Arctostaphylos pungens, and the flowers of Adenostoma fasciculatum.
Serica mystaca
Serica mystaca is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Dawson in 1922. It is distributed across a broad swath of the eastern and central United States, from New England south to the Gulf Coast and west to the Great Plains. Adults are distinguished from the closely related Serica parallela by their larger, more robust build, darker coloration, and more pronounced iridescence.
Serica opposita
Serica opposita is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Dawson in 1921. Adults reach approximately 8 mm in length and are very similar in appearance to the congeneric species Serica spicula, though slightly larger. The species is distributed across the eastern and central United States.
Serica parallela
Serica parallela is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. Adults measure 7.5–8.5 mm in length. The species occurs across eastern and central North America, from the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec south to Texas and east to the Atlantic coast.
Serica porcula
Serica porcula is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Casey in 1885. Adults measure approximately 7 mm in length and exhibit distinctive reddish-brown coloration with polished elytra bearing faint longitudinal costae. The species is distributed across the southwestern and western United States.
Serica serotina
Serica serotina is a scarab beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae. Adults measure approximately 8–11 mm in length. The species is known from California, where it has been documented in multiple localities.
Serica sponsa
Serica sponsa is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. Adults measure 8–9 mm in length. The species exhibits variable coloration ranging from chestnut-brown to nearly black, with a highly polished, shining surface. It is known from several northeastern and midwestern U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
Serica vespertina
Serica vespertina is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, measuring approximately 8.5 mm in length. It is characterized by its uniformly light brown, polished, and shining appearance. The species is distributed across North America, with two recognized subspecies showing distinct geographic ranges in the eastern and central United States.
Setodius
Setodius is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was established by Gordon and Skelley in 2007 and belongs to the tribe Aphodiini. The genus is known from the Nearctic region. As a member of Aphodiinae, it is part of a diverse group of dung beetles, though specific ecological details for this genus remain poorly documented.
Strigoderma pygmaea
pygmy chafer
Strigoderma pygmaea, commonly known as the pygmy chafer, is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae and subfamily Rutelinae. It belongs to the group of 'shining leaf chafers' characterized by their metallic coloration. The species occurs across the southeastern United States, with records from Florida to New York, and is frequently associated with sandy habitats. It can be collected by sweeping low vegetation or at light traps.
Strigoderma teapensis
Strigoderma teapensis is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Rutelinae. The species was described by Bates in 1888 from Teapa, Tabasco, Mexico. It occurs in eastern Mexico and has been recorded in southern Texas, USA. Like other members of the genus Strigoderma, it is likely associated with sandy or open habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Tetraclipeoides testaceiventris
Tetraclipeoides testaceiventris is a small scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Fall in 1932. It belongs to a genus of aphodiine dung beetles found in North America. The species is known from scattered records across the Great Plains and south-central United States.
Thyce deserta
Thyce deserta is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae. It was described by Hardy in 1974 and is known from California, USA. As a member of the genus Thyce, it belongs to a group of melolonthine scarabs found in western North America.
Trichiotinus affinis
Hairy Flower Scarab
Trichiotinus affinis, commonly known as the Hairy Flower Scarab, is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found across eastern North America. The species belongs to the flower chafer subfamily Cetoniinae, a group known for visiting flowers to feed on pollen and nectar.
Trichiotinus assimilis
hairy flower scarab, flower chafer, bee-mimic beetle
Trichiotinus assimilis is a scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as the hairy flower scarab or bee-mimic beetle. It is found across much of North America, with records from Canada and the northern and western United States. The species is associated with flowers, where adults feed on pollen. It belongs to a genus whose members often exhibit bee-mimicry in appearance.
Trichiotinus lunulatus
Emerald Flower Scarab, Metallic Green Flower Scarab
Trichiotinus lunulatus is a flower scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, distributed across the southeastern United States. Adults are metallic green in color and have been observed visiting flowers, particularly those of pricklypear cactus (Opuntia). The species is smaller and more widespread than some congeners such as T. rufobrunneus.
Trigonopeltastes
Trigonopeltastes is a genus of fruit and flower chafers in the beetle family Scarabaeidae, containing more than 20 described species distributed across North and Central America. The genus name derives from Greek 'trigon' (triangle) and 'pelt' (shield), referring to the triangular, shield-shaped pronotum characteristic of these beetles. The most commonly encountered species, Trigonopeltastes delta, is notable for its distinctive coloration and flower-visiting behavior.
Valgus californicus
Valgus californicus is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae, and tribe Valgini. It was described by Horn in 1870. The species has a limited known distribution in western North America, primarily recorded from California and Oregon in the United States, with additional records from Sinaloa in Mexico. Like other members of the genus Valgus, it is likely associated with decaying wood and woody debris, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Valgus canaliculatus
Valgus canaliculatus is a tiny scarab beetle in the subfamily Cetoniinae, measuring only 4–6 mm in length with a broad, strongly flattened body. The species belongs to the tribe Valgini, one of only two tribes in Scarabaeidae possessing dorsal and ventral scale-like setae. Adults exhibit strong sexual dimorphism in feeding behavior: only males visit flowers, using specially modified brush-like mouthparts to lap up nectar, while females do not feed on pollen. The species has been documented in association with termite galleries, where eggs are laid and larvae feed on wood within the galleries, though whether this termophily is obligatory remains unclear.
Valgus hemipterus
Valgus hemipterus is a small scarab beetle in the subfamily Cetoniinae, measuring 6–10 mm in length. The species is notable for pronounced sexual dimorphism: females possess an elongated, acuminate telson with a central groove and lateral serrations, a trait unusual among beetles, while males exhibit a different scale pattern and are more frequently observed on flowers. It has one generation per year and overwinters as a pupa.
Xenochodaeus americanus
Xenochodaeus americanus is a species of scarab beetle in the family Ochodaeidae, commonly known as sand-loving scarab beetles. The species was described by Westwood in 1852. It occurs in sandy habitats in the Great Plains region of North America, with records from the United States (Iowa, Great Plains) and Canada (Manitoba).
Xenochodaeus luscinus
Xenochodaeus luscinus is a species of sand-loving scarab beetle in the family Ochodaeidae. It was described by Howden in 1968. The species is known from western Canada, specifically Alberta and British Columbia. Like other members of its family, it is associated with sandy habitats.
Xenochodaeus musculus
sand-loving scarab beetle
Xenochodaeus musculus is a species of sand-loving scarab beetle in the family Ochodaeidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1835. The species is distributed across the Nearctic region of North America, with records from numerous U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario. Like other members of its family, it is associated with sandy habitats. The specific epithet 'musculus' refers to its small, mouse-like size.
Xenochodaeus simplex
Xenochodaeus simplex is a species of sand-loving scarab beetle in the family Ochodaeidae. It occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America, where it inhabits sandy substrates. The species was originally described as Ochodaeus simplex by LeConte in 1854 before being transferred to Xenochodaeus.