Parataenius simulator

Parataenius simulator
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Scarabaeiformia
Family: Scarabaeidae
Genus: Parataenius
Species:
P. simulator
Binomial name
Parataenius simulator
(Harold, 1868)
Synonyms
  • Ataenius lusitanicus Paulian, 1979
  • Parataenius granuliceps Petrovitz, 1971
  • Psammodius schwarzi Linell, 1896

Parataenius simulator is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), Central America, North America, and South America.

Description

Adults reach a length of about 3.8–5.9 mm (0.15–0.23 in). The body is robust, elongate and glabrous dorsally. The head has strong transverse wrinkles and there are punctures on the frons. The clypeus is emarginate and impunctate. The pronotum has punctures of two sizes. The larger punctures are scarce and restricted to the posterior and lateral margins. The lateral margins are fringed with setae. The elytra have punctate interstriae, with the punctures fine and widely spaced. The abdominal ventrites have large punctures to the sides.

Life history

The larvae have been collected in bovine faecal masses, while adult specimens have also been collected in logs and leaf litter.

References

  1. 1 2 "Parataenius simulator Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  2. ↑ "Parataenius simulator". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  3. ↑ Stebnicka, Z.; Howden, H. (1996). "Australian genera and species in the tribes Odontolochini, Psammodiini, Rhyparini, Stereomerini and part of the Eupariini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Aphodiinae)". Invertebrate Taxonomy. 10 (1): 97-170. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Gama, E. R.; Skelley, P. E.; Vaz-de-Mello, F. Z. (2026). "Identification guide to the Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of Brazil". European Journal of Taxonomy. 1038 (1): 1–225. Retrieved September 21, 2026.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  5. ↑ Stebnicka, Z. (2001). "Aphodiinae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 42: 1-61. Retrieved September 28, 2026.

Further reading