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- Source: Phanaeus (beetle)
Phanaeus, the rainbow scarabs, is a genus of true dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles), ranging from the United States to northern Argentina, with the highest species richness in Mexico. Depending on species, they can inhabit a wide range of habitats, from tropical to temperate climates and deserts to rainforests. In those living in relatively arid places adults are primarily active during the wet season and those living in relatively cold places are primarily active during the summer. They are excellent diggers and good fliers.
They are up to about 2.5 cm (1 in) long and most (but not all) species have bright metallic colors with males having a horn on their head and/or one or two spikes on the pronotum. Males of several species occur in two distinct morphs, referred to as "major" and "minor", that differ in body size and size/presence of horn/spikes.
Behavior
Both adult and young of Phanaeus are generally coprophagous, feeding primarily on dung from a wide range of mammals, but they tend to prefer wet, as opposed to dry, dung. A pair of Phanaeus will tunnel in the soil below the dung to make nests where some of the dung is placed and the eggs are laid (each egg having its own, typically pear-shaped piece of dung). This means that they are paracoprids, as opposed to some other dung beetles that dig into or on the underside of the dung (the endocoprids) or roll dung balls overland to a tunnel elsewhere (the telecoprids); however, Phanaeus may on occasion roll or push a piece of dung some distance overland from where it was dropped to a tunnel. Because they bring the dung underground, tunneling species like Phanaeus are particularly useful for dung degradation. After the eggs have been laid the parents provides no further care for them. The development from egg to adult typically lasts a few months and adult beetles have lived for more than a year in captivity, but their lifespan is probably shorter in the wild. A tunnel with dung also serves as a temporary living quarter for a single adult or a pair and is only left once the food supply is exhausted or inedible; adults of some species will overwinter in their tunnel.
Exceptions are two South American species, P. bispinus and P. meleagris, that are mostly necrophagous (certain other species may be both coprophagous and necrophagous), and the Mexican P. halffterorum that appears to be mycetophagous.
In species with clearly distinct male morphs, either will pair up with a female to excavate a tunnel, but during male-male encounters a battle ensues with the major morph winning over the minor morph. Females may also fight other females over a piece of dung. In certain species where males vary clinally in appearance (no discrete morphs), like P. difformis, small and hornless "sneaky" males that mate by stealth exist.
Species
Phanaeus includes the following species:
Phanaeus achilles
Phanaeus adonis
Phanaeus alvarengai
Phanaeus amethystinus
Phanaeus amithaon
†Phanaeus antiquus (fossil species, Pleistocene)
Phanaeus beltianus
Phanaeus bispinus
Phanaeus blackalleri
Phanaeus bordoni
Phanaeus cambeforti
Phanaeus chalcomelas
Phanaeus changdiazi
Phanaeus damocles
Phanaeus daphnis
Phanaeus dejeani
Phanaeus demon
Phanaeus difformis
Phanaeus dionysius
Phanaeus dzidoi
Phanaeus endymion
Phanaeus eximius
Phanaeus flohri
Phanaeus furiosus
Phanaeus genieri
Phanaeus halffterorum
Phanaeus haroldi
Phanaeus hermes
Phanaeus howdeni
Phanaeus igneus
Phanaeus kirbyi
†Phanaeus labreae (fossil species, Pleistocene)
Phanaeus lecourti
Phanaeus lunaris
Phanaeus malyi
Phanaeus martinezorum
Phanaeus melampus
Phanaeus meleagris
Phanaeus melibaeus
Phanaeus mexicanus
Phanaeus nimrod
Phanaeus palaeno
Phanaeus palliatus
Phanaeus prasinus
Phanaeus pyrois
Phanaeus quadridens
Phanaeus sallei
Phanaeus scutifer
Phanaeus splendidulus
Phanaeus triangularis
Phanaeus tridens
Phanaeus wagneri
Phanaeus vindex - rainbow scarab
Phanaeus viridicollis
Phanaeus yecoraensis
Phanaeus zapotecus
References
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