Home
How to use the Keys
How to tell if your
beetle is a dung
beetle
References
Glossary
The importance of
Dung Beetles
Acknowledgements
Onthophagus parvus
Distribution
From the Pilliga Scrub area of New South Wales to Cape York, Queensland, westward across nothern Australia to Port Hedland, Western Australia. In open dry scrubland or savannah.
Description
Total length 5.5-9mm. Black, legs reddish-black, antennal clubs reddish-yellow.
Head:Frons and vertex unarmed, flat. Margin rounded, reflexed. Frontal section of clypeal suture entirely effaced or present as an indistinct ridge laterally. Eyes large, separated by about 6 widths. Densely covered with small punctures, edges of head wrinkled, rest of surface smooth, shiny, glabrous.
Pronotum: Moderately convex, unsculptured. Anterior angles quadrate, the points rounded. Lateral margins strongly rounded and prominent in major male. Hind edge not margined. Densely covered with extremely fine punctures, glabrous, surface smooth and very shiny.
Elytra: Intervals moderately convex, shiny, very finely punctate, glabrous except for 1st interval, which has a group of short setae below humerus and a single row of short setae along epipleural edge to apex. Striae impressed, with deep punctures slightly wider than stria, slightly crenulating edges of intervals. Metasternum: Posterior part of middle with punctures bearing setae.
Legs: Fore tibiae with inner apical angle produced into a short tooth. Spur acute, curved out. Claws strongly prehensile. Bristles on outer edge of hind tibiae with several longer ones.
Abdomen: Pygidium finely shagreened, alutaceous, densely covered in small deep punctures, with groups of short setae laterally.
Sexual dimorphism
Female: Clypeal surface strongly wrinkled, frontoclypeal suture entirely keeled, or briefly interrupted in middle. Sides of prothorax not strongly rounded. Inner apical angle of fore tibiae not produced.
Notes
This species uses its prehensile claws to cling to the fur of wallabies.
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.
Copyright © Australian Museum 2016
Authors: Rebecca Harris & Dr. Chris Reid