Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Deltochilum scabriusculum scabriusculum Bates 1887

Family Scarabaeidae, Subfamily Scarabaeinae, Tribe Canthonini

TEXAS Cameron Co
Laguna Atascosa
NWR 8 Oct 1996
J E Wappes

TX: Cameron Co.
pig dung trp, 14 [mi] E
of Rio Hondo, IX-30-95
C. Wolfe

Both specimens curated in the TAMUIC

Range:

According to Howden (1966), this large canthonine dung beetle ranges from "southern Texas down the east coast of Mexico to Guatemala and Costa Rica" but he did not provide details on the distribution within Texas. Texas specimens collected and examined by Riley & Wolfe (2003) were all from Cameron County, Texas.

Flight Period:

June, September & October in Texas
June through November in Mexico

Biology: Coprophagous.

Similar Species:

Deltochilum is a New World genus with over 80 described species.

Texas Deltochilum species:

Deltochilum gibbosum gibbosum (Fabricius 1775) - East Texas
Deltochilum scabriusculum scabriusculum Bates 1887

Website: Dung Beetles - TAMU

Photos:

Humpback Dung Beetle - Deltochilum gibbosum (male) - Patrick Coin
Deltochilum gibbosum (female) - Sam Houston

Etymology: Deltochilum scabriusculum Bates

delt (G). triangular
chil, -o, =us (G). A lip
scab, =er, -r (L). Rough

Biography: Henry Walter Bates 1825-1892 - University of Nebraska-Lincoln State Museum

Bibliography:

Arnett, R.H., Jr., M.C. Thomas, P.E. Skelley & J.H. Frank. (editors). 2002. American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. xiv + 861 pp.

Bates, H.W. 1886-1890. Pectinicornia and Lamellicornia. In: Salvin and Godwin (eds.), Biologia Centrali Americana. Insecta, Coleoptera, Vol. II Part 2: 1-432.

Borror, D.J. 1960. Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms. National Press Books, Palo Alto. v + 134 pp.

Cartwright, O.L. 1949. The egg-ball of Deltochilum gibbosum (Fab.). Coleopterists Bulletin 3(3): 38.

Halffter, G. & A. Martinez. 1966. Revision monographic de los Canthonina Americanos (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) (1a. parte). Revista de la Sociedad Mexicana Historia Natural 27: 114-175.

Howden, H.F. 1966. Notes on the Canthonini of the Biologia Centrali-Americana and descriptions of new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The Canadian Entomologist 98: 725-741.

Howden, H.F. & P.O. Ritcher. 1952. Biology of Deltochilum gibbosum (Fab.) with a description of the larva. Coleopterists' Bulletin 6(4): 53-57.

Leng, C.W. 1920. Catalogue of the Coleoptera of America, North of Mexico. John D. Sherman, Jr., Mount Vernon, N.Y. x + 470 pp.

O'Hara, J.E. 1995. Henry Walter Bates--his life and contributions to biology. Archives of Natural History 22: 195-219.

Riley, E.G. & C.S. Wolfe. 2003. An annotated checklist of the Scarabaeoidea of Texas. Southwestern Entomologist, Supplement, no. 26. 37 pp.

Ritcher, P.O. 1966. White Grubs and Their Allies, a Study of North American Scarabaeoid Larvae. Oregon State University Monograph Series No. 4: 1-219.

Schaeffer, C. 1905. Some additional new genera and species of Coleoptera found within the limit of the United States. Brooklyn Institute Museum Science Bulletin 1(7): 141-179.