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Genus Onthophagus
Species found in eastern New South Wales: O. anchommatus, O. arrilla, O. atrox, O. auritus, O. australis, O. bicarinaticeps, O. bornemisszai, O. capella, , O. chepara, O. compositus, O. declivis, O. depressus, O. desectus, O. dunningi, O. fletcheri, O. frenchi, O. fuliginosus, O. glabratus, O. granulatus, O. hoplocerus, O. incornutus, O. kiambram, O. koebelei, O. kokereka, O. kumbaingeri, O. leanus, O. leai, O. longipes, O. macleayi, O. macrocephalus, O. mutatus, O. muticus, O. nammuldi, O. neostenocerus, O. nurubuan, O. ouratita, O. pentacanthus, O. peramelinus, O. pexatus, O. pronus, O. pugnax, O. quadripustulatus, O. quinquetuberculatus, O. rubicundulus, O. squalidus, O. sydneyensis, O. tabellifer, O. tenebrosus, O. tweedensis, O. tuckonie, O. waterhousei, O. weringerong, O. williamsi, O. yourula. Other species: There are at least 215 described species of Onthophagus throughout Australia.
Distribution
Description Elytra: elytra with 8 striae. No pseudepipleura. Hind wings: Fully developed or, rarely, reduced (one undescribed species). Legs: Outer edge of fore tibiae with 4 teeth (3 if worn). Middle coxae parallel. Middle and hind tibiae strongly dilated apically, without a transverse keel on outer face. Claws either simple, subdentate, or prehensile. Abdomen: Sternites normal. Pygidium generally exposed, without grooves or depressions.
Sexual dimorphism
Similar Genera
Diorygopyx, of a similar size and general shape as some species, black and shiny.
Ecology A few species (eg. O. muticus, O. parvus) have prehensile claws, which enable the beetle to cling to the hairs around the anus of mammals and fall to the ground with the dung as it emerges.
Notes
References Matthews, E. G. (1972) A revision of the Scarabaeine Dung Beetles of Australia. I Tribe Onthophagini. Aus. J. Zool. Suppl. Ser. 9: 1-330 Storey, R. I. (1977) Six new species of Onthophagus Latreille (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Australia. J. Aust. ent. Soc. 16: 313-320. Storey, R. I. & Weir, T. A. (1990) New species of Onthophagus Latreille (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Australia. Invertebr. Taxon. 3:783-815 Tyndale-Biscoe, M. (1990) Common Dung Beetles in Pastures of South-eastern Australia. CSIRO Division of Entomology. |
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