Scarabaeidae
Encyclopedia
The family Scarabaeidae as currently defined consists of over 30,000 species of beetle
s worldwide. The species in this large family are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family is fairly unstable, with numerous competing theories, and new proposals appearing quite often. It is probable that many of the subfamilies listed here will no longer be recognized very much longer, as they will likely be reduced in status below subfamily rank, or elevated to family status (the latter is most likely, e.g., with the family "Melolonthidae" already appearing in some recent classifications). Other families have been removed recently, and are nearly universally accepted (e.g., Pleocomidae, Glaresidae, Glaphyridae
, Ochodaeidae
, Geotrupidae, Bolboceratidae)
composed of plates called lamellae that can be compressed into a ball or fanned out like leaves to sense odors. The front legs of many species are broad and adapted for digging.
The C-shaped larva
e, called grubs, are pale yellow or white. Most adult beetles are nocturnal, although the flower chafers (Cetoniinae) and many leaf chafers (Rutelinae) are active during the day. The grubs mostly live underground or under debris, so are not exposed to sunlight. Many scarabs are scavengers that recycle dung, carrion
, or decaying plant material. Others, such as the Japanese beetle
are devastating agricultural pests.
Some of the well-known beetles from the Scarabaeidae are Japanese beetle
s, dung beetle
s, June beetle
s, rose chafers (Australian
, European and North American
), rhinoceros beetle
s, Hercules beetle
s and Goliath beetles.
Several members of this family have shells which act as left-handed circular polarisers; this was the first-discovered example of circular polarization in nature.
White grubs, grubworms or curl grubs are the larvae of scarabs. Grubs commonly attack the roots of turfgrasses and ornamental plants. Damage first appears as drought stress, such as wilting and drooping.
Heavily infested turf first appears a gray-green off color and wilts in the hot sun. Such infestations typically appear in oddly shaped and sized patches among healthy plants, creating an unsightly contrast. Continued feeding with insufficient watering will cause the turf to die in large irregular patches.
The tunneling nature of the grubs causes the turf to feel spongy, and it is easily rolled back, since the deep roots are consumed first, exacerbating the plants' problems with drought in hot dry weather. Grub populations also attract predatory mammals such as armadillos, skunks, raccoons, opossums and moles that can hear the grub activity and dig into the turf in search of a meal - causing further damage to the turf.
, such as diazinon
. However, diazinon use has been discouraged by EPA
in favor of chemical preservative
s, which alter the taste of the roots and more specifically target grubs without affecting other insect species as does diazinon or other poison
s.
was revered as sacred.
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 worldwide. The species in this large family are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family is fairly unstable, with numerous competing theories, and new proposals appearing quite often. It is probable that many of the subfamilies listed here will no longer be recognized very much longer, as they will likely be reduced in status below subfamily rank, or elevated to family status (the latter is most likely, e.g., with the family "Melolonthidae" already appearing in some recent classifications). Other families have been removed recently, and are nearly universally accepted (e.g., Pleocomidae, Glaresidae, Glaphyridae
Glaphyridae
Glaphyridae is a family of beetles, commonly known as The bumble bee scarab beetles. There are eight genera with about 80 species distributed worldwide.-External links:...
, Ochodaeidae
Ochodaeidae
Ochodaeidae, sometimes known as the sand-loving scarab beetles, is a small but widely-distributed family of scarabaeiform beetles.These beetles are small, ranging from 3–10 mm. Their bodies are elongate to oval and convex, with colors including yellow, reddish-brown, brown, and black.Very...
, Geotrupidae, Bolboceratidae)
Scarabs
Scarabs are stout-bodied beetles, many with bright metallic colors, measuring between 1.5 and 160 mm. They have distinctive, clubbed antennaeAntenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
composed of plates called lamellae that can be compressed into a ball or fanned out like leaves to sense odors. The front legs of many species are broad and adapted for digging.
The C-shaped larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e, called grubs, are pale yellow or white. Most adult beetles are nocturnal, although the flower chafers (Cetoniinae) and many leaf chafers (Rutelinae) are active during the day. The grubs mostly live underground or under debris, so are not exposed to sunlight. Many scarabs are scavengers that recycle dung, carrion
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
, or decaying plant material. Others, such as the Japanese beetle
Japanese beetle
The beetle species Popillia japonica is commonly known as the Japanese beetle. It is about long and wide, with iridescent copper-colored elytra and green thorax and head...
are devastating agricultural pests.
Some of the well-known beetles from the Scarabaeidae are Japanese beetle
Japanese beetle
The beetle species Popillia japonica is commonly known as the Japanese beetle. It is about long and wide, with iridescent copper-colored elytra and green thorax and head...
s, dung beetle
Dung beetle
Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of...
s, June beetle
June beetle
June beetle is the common name for several scarab beetles that appear around June:In subfamily Cetoniinae:* Cotinis nitida of the southeastern United States...
s, rose chafers (Australian
Eupoecila australasiae
Eupoecila australasiae, commonly known as the fiddler beetle or rose chafer, is a colourful green- or yellow-and-black member of the scarab beetle family from eastern Australia....
, European and North American
Macrodactylus subspinosus
Macrodactylus subspinosus is a North American beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. It is one of at least two beetles in this family known as the "rose chafer", the other being the European Cetonia aurata. M. subspinosus occurs from Eastern Canada to Colorado and is considered a pest of many crops...
), rhinoceros beetle
Rhinoceros beetle
The Rhinoceros Beetles or Rhino Beetles are a subfamily of the scarab beetle family . Other common names – some for particular groups of rhino beetles – are for example Hercules beetles, unicorn beetles or horn beetles...
s, Hercules beetle
Hercules beetle
The Hercules beetle, Dynastes hercules, is the most famous and largest of the rhinoceros beetles. It is native to the rainforests of Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles . Their title is well deserved, with some males reaching 6.75 inches in length...
s and Goliath beetles.
Several members of this family have shells which act as left-handed circular polarisers; this was the first-discovered example of circular polarization in nature.
White grub
White grubs, grubworms or curl grubs are the larvae of scarabs. Grubs commonly attack the roots of turfgrasses and ornamental plants. Damage first appears as drought stress, such as wilting and drooping.
Heavily infested turf first appears a gray-green off color and wilts in the hot sun. Such infestations typically appear in oddly shaped and sized patches among healthy plants, creating an unsightly contrast. Continued feeding with insufficient watering will cause the turf to die in large irregular patches.
The tunneling nature of the grubs causes the turf to feel spongy, and it is easily rolled back, since the deep roots are consumed first, exacerbating the plants' problems with drought in hot dry weather. Grub populations also attract predatory mammals such as armadillos, skunks, raccoons, opossums and moles that can hear the grub activity and dig into the turf in search of a meal - causing further damage to the turf.
Remedies
Until recently, the most common treatment in the United States was an application of an extermination chemicalExterminator
Exterminator may refer to:*A practitioner in pest control-Competition:*Exterminator , racehorse, the winner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby*X-Terminator, a competitor in Robot Wars-Fiction:...
, such as diazinon
Diazinon
Diazinon , a colorless to dark brown liquid, is a thiophosphoric acid ester developed in 1952 by Ciba-Geigy, a Swiss chemical company...
. However, diazinon use has been discouraged by EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
in favor of chemical preservative
Preservative
A preservative is a naturally occurring or synthetically produced substance that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, wood, etc. to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes....
s, which alter the taste of the roots and more specifically target grubs without affecting other insect species as does diazinon or other poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
s.
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, a dung beetle now known as Scarabaeus sacerScarabaeus sacer
Scarabaeus sacer is a species of dung beetle, found in coastal dunes and marshes around the Mediterranean Basin. It collects balls of dung which it rolls to an underground chamber to feed its offspring. This behaviour inspired the Ancient Egyptians to compare it to the sun god Khepri, and they...
was revered as sacred.
External links
- Flickr Images on Flickr
- Flickr Album Dedicared images.
- Taiwanese site Images Binomial Names
- Scarabidae breeding site Photos of various Cetonidae, Dynastidae, Euchiridae, Lucanidae and Trichinae]
- Rutelinae Image page.Click on a flag to return to the home page.
- Family SCARABAEIDAE
- Japanese Beetles Popillia japonica photos, description, natural history
- June Beetles, Family: Scarabaeidae - Diagnostic photographs
- Hairy Flower Chafer Beetle Trichiotinus piger reference photographs
- Brown Fruit Chafer Euphoria inda reference photographs
- Scarab Beetle Research, Databases, and Links from Scarab Central at University of Nebraska State Museum
- An electronic checklist of the New World chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) (2005)
- Bibliography of literature published on scarab beetles since 1 January 2001 (worldwide coverage; through 2005)
- Checklist of the world Anoplognathini (2003)
- on the UFUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
/ IFASInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesThe University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
Featured Creatures Web site - UNL Generic Guide to New World Scarabaeidae
- Heredity Scientific paper on scarab horns
- Non-toxic Control of White Grubs
- Annual White Grubs in Turf, Kansas State University
- http://www.greendecade.org/download/white_grubs.pdf
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dung_beetle Scarabaeidae dung beetles play important role in temperate and tropical environments