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How to use the Keys
How to tell if your
beetle is a dung
beetle
References
Glossary
The importance of
Dung Beetles
Acknowledgements
Aptenocanthon hopsoni
Distribution
Known from the Barrington Tops area north to Grafton, New South Wales.
Description
Total length 4.0mm. Uniformly black in colour.
Head: Clypeal teeth small and close together. Surface shiny, glabrous, densely covered by large umbilical punctures that become smaller in middle of clypeus. Dorsal parts of eyes very small.
Prothorax: Pronotal surface glabrous, smooth, shiny and densely punctate with large umbilical punctures becoming small on anterior part of disc.
Elytra: Striae distinct and broad, with finely toothed edges and minute punctures. Intervals shiny and glabrous, with small umbilical punctures. Surface sharply deflexed outside the 7th striae, forming pseudepipleura that terminate about halfway down elytra. Epipleuron narrow and deeply excavated basally, widening before halfway point to meet the pseudepipleural edge, forming a strongly sinuate line.
Legs: Fore tibiae with straight distal edge, with inner apical angle produced into a broad, inwardly directed lobe. A short triangular spur on anterior edge of lobe. Outer edge of fore tibiae with 3 small teeth, inner edge strongly concave. Distal end of middle tibiae sharply bent inward. Hind legs unmodified.
Abdomen: Lower margin of pygidium thickened. Disc coarsely punctate on sides, glabrous.
Sexual dimorphism
Female: Inner apical angle of fore tibiae prominent but not produced into separate lobe. Inner edge of fore tibiae evenly convex. Middle tibiae unmodified.
References
Matthews, E.G. (1974) A revision of the Scarabaeine dung beetles of Australia. II. Tribe Scarabaeini. Aust. J. Zool. Suppl. Ser. 24: 1-211.
Copyright © Australian Museum 2016
Authors: Rebecca Harris & Dr. Chris Reid