Enigmatic scarab beetle
Encyclopedia
Glaresis is a genus
of beetle
s, sometimes called "enigmatic scarab beetles", in its own family, the Glaresidae. It is closely related to scarab beetle
s. Although its members occur in arid and sandy areas worldwide (except Australia), only the nocturnal adults have ever been collected (typically at lights), and both the larvae and biology of Glaresis are as yet unknown. Due to their narrow habitat associations, a great number of these species occur in extremely limited geographic areas, and are accordingly imperiled by habitat destruction.
These beetles are small, 2½–6 mm long, and have the stocky appearance typical of scarabs, with short heavy spurred legs. Color ranges from tan to dark brown, and the back is covered with short setae.
Efforts to raise glaresids in the laboratory were undertaken in the 1980s by C. H. Scholtz and others, but were unsuccessful.
Glaresis was originally classified with Trogidae, and has many characteristics of "primitive" scarabaeoid
s, but no affinities to any of the other primitive groups; recent work suggests that they do in fact belong in the trogids. Scholtz argued that Glaresis is the most primitive type of scarabaeoid
, but more recent research indicates that the Pleocomidae hold this position.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s, sometimes called "enigmatic scarab beetles", in its own family, the Glaresidae. It is closely related to scarab beetle
Scarab beetle
Scarab beetle may refer to these species: * A beetle of the family Scarabaeidae* Scarabaeus sacer, the dung beetle species worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as an embodiment of the god Khepri...
s. Although its members occur in arid and sandy areas worldwide (except Australia), only the nocturnal adults have ever been collected (typically at lights), and both the larvae and biology of Glaresis are as yet unknown. Due to their narrow habitat associations, a great number of these species occur in extremely limited geographic areas, and are accordingly imperiled by habitat destruction.
These beetles are small, 2½–6 mm long, and have the stocky appearance typical of scarabs, with short heavy spurred legs. Color ranges from tan to dark brown, and the back is covered with short setae.
Efforts to raise glaresids in the laboratory were undertaken in the 1980s by C. H. Scholtz and others, but were unsuccessful.
Glaresis was originally classified with Trogidae, and has many characteristics of "primitive" scarabaeoid
Scarabaeoidea
Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year...
s, but no affinities to any of the other primitive groups; recent work suggests that they do in fact belong in the trogids. Scholtz argued that Glaresis is the most primitive type of scarabaeoid
Scarabaeoidea
Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year...
, but more recent research indicates that the Pleocomidae hold this position.
Species
- G. alfierii
- G. arenata
- G. beckeri
- G. canadensis
- G. carthagensis
- G. cartwrighti
- G. ceballosi
- G. celiae
- G. clypeata
- G. confusa
- G. contrerasi
- G. dakotensis
- G. desperata
- G. ecostata
- G. exasperata
- G. foveolata
- G. freyi
- G. fritzi
- G. frustrata
- G. gineri
- G. handlirshci
- G. hispanus
- G. holmi
- G. howdeni
- G. impressicollis
- G. inducta
- G. kocheri
- G. koenigsbaueri
- G. longisternum
- G. lomii
- G. mandibularis
- G. maroccana
- G. mauritanica
- G. medialis
- G. mendica
- G. methneri
- G. minuta
- G. namibensis
- G. penrithae
- G. oxiana
- G. pardoi
- G. pardoalcaidei
- G. phoenicis
- G. porrecta
- G. quedenfeldti
- G. rufa
- G. texana
- G. tripolitana
- G. villiersi
- G. walzlae
- G. zarudniana
External links
- Browne et al., Glaresis from the Tree of Life.