Insect or Invertebrates Identification - DONE

[Lisbeth]

They are fascinating

[ExFmem]

I lightened my pic up some more, and S. flav. matches very well.

IMG_3220_3.jpg (330.7 KiB) Viewed 696 times

I'll write it up as that and you can improve upon it (unless you've already written up the entry), agreed?

[Klipspringer]

Please do


Description:
Large nocturnal telecoprid (ball-rolling) dung beetle.
Habitus black. Elytra flat, not prominently striated. Antennae orange.
Found in arid regions, Kalahari deep sands, outliers to east, Central Namib Desert, SW coast; South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia.
The recorded range of this species is from Lamberts Bay [32° 5’S 18°19’E] in the south (South Africa) to Liuwa plains [14°38’S 22°37’E] in the north (Zambia).

https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/h ... sAllowed=y


Scarabaeini
Taxonomy and morphology: The Scarabaeini comprise three genera, Scarabaeus, with 136 species, Pachylomera with two, and Pachysoma with
13 species. The tribe is characterized by members with the anterior margin of the head, which is sexdentate, comprising the quadridentate anterior margin of the clypeus and two lateral teeth formed by the anterior angles of the genae. Th e beetles have long legs for ball- rolling and/or fast running. Th e tibiae of the forelegs are quadridentate, although the proximal tooth may be represented by only a vestige. There are no fore tarsi. The species are mainly black although some show either red elytra or red patches on the elytra (some Scarabaeus, Pachysoma). A few are metallic-coloured (some Kheper). They vary in size from quite small (7.0 mm) to very large (48.5 mm).
Most of the species fly strongly but a number of desert taxa are flightless (including all the Pachysoma species).
Scarabaeus comprises four subgenera, the nominate subgenus, Kheper, Scarabaeolus and Sceliages.

The Scarabaeini comprise primarily coprophagous species. Th ey may be readily attracted to many dung types, or more specialized, with some also strongly attracted to carrion. Most species are active by day but some Scarabaeus, Scarabaeolus and Kheper are night-active. Whereas flightless species drag pellets and detritus, most flying species engage in ball-making and ball-rolling.
If ball-making and ball-rolling species form pairs at the dung, the males roll the ball with the female clinging to the side (Kheper, Scarabaeus (Scarabaeus)) or following behind (Scarabaeolus). When large numbers of Scarabaeini are active there is frequently combat between early arrivals at a dropping that have completed a ball and late arrivals that attempt to take possession of this ball. During such encounters, the object is to dislodge the incumbent from its defensive position on top of the ball or to deter the attacker by using the front legs to lift and flip the opponent away.
The ball may be rolled some distance before being buried in a burrow where it is used either for feeding or breeding.
Once a suitable pile of dung has been located, some species quickly sculpt a piece into a ball and start to roll it away along a straight path. The end destination for the ball is, at this point, unknown. The straight-line departure helps to minimize the time that the dung beetle spends near the dung pat, where foraging conspecifics congregate and frequently try to steal a ready-made ball. After some distance, the beetle finds a suitable patch of ground and buries itself together with its ball of dung. The ball is then slowly consumed in the safety of the ground.
Leaving a defined place might at first glance seem simple but is, as it turns out, impossible without an external directional reference—i.e. some form of compass. This is true even for ensuring progress away from a dung pile. Foraging dung beetles use a number of celestial compass cues to guide them along their straight tracks: the sun, the moon, the pattern of polarized light and even the Milky Way.
Nests of most Scarabaeini (Kheper, Scarabaeus (Scarabaeus)) comprise a chamber at the end of the burrow in which one or more brood pears are constructed and tended by the parent female.
Flight activity patterns may be related to the cooler conditions under which most species have been observed to fly, i.e. in the middle of the day under cooler conditions, but in the early morning, late afternoon, or at night under warmer conditions and, especially, after rainfall with its cooling effect on daily temperatures. At least some species are able to raise their body temperatures, enabling them to fly and exploit dung under cooler conditions.

Scarabaeolus:
Although recognition of the subgenus is not universal, of the 27 Scarabaeolus species, currently known, 24 show a regionally restricted distribution pattern centred on southern and southern central Africa. Furthermore, one observation of a Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) bohemani female following a male rolling a ball suggests that members of the subgenus may also show behavioral differences to Scarabaeus (Scarabaeus) species in which the female clings to the side of a ball being rolled by the male.

[ExFmem]

I see you've been reading the same literature as I am. (I'm on page 172 of the 570 page TOME). I have written what I could glean from other sources, but don't find a lot on this SPECIFIC species. Maybe on page 569 it will appear.

I'll post what I have tomorrow here, so you can peruse it first.

My SO just asked me if my eyes don't glaze over while working on this , but I said, "NO, they get wider!"
He thinks I'm the ONLY female in the world spending time on such things. Nope, it's you and me, babe (and millions of others )

[Klipspringer]

I don't find anything species-specific. So we just post it with what we have

There is nothing in the book which is a useful diagnosis.

[ExFmem]

Here is all I have, so can use or discard as you think best.

Dung Beetle Scarabaeus flavicornis
Family: Scarabaeidae Subfamily: Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles) Tribe: Scarabaeini (dung ball rollers) (subgenus: Scarabaeolus)






Genus Scarabaeus
The genus Scarabaeus consists of a number of Old World dung beetles. Afrotropical species of Scarabaeus Linnaeus are confined chiefly to the southern part of the continent, but one occurs as far northeast as Somalia (S. laevifrons Fairmaire) and another extends northwest into Senegal (S. palemo Olivier). Most species are sculptured and hirsute, due to wide separation of lateral carinae, have the elytral edge more-or-less rounded in profile, and nearly two-thirds possess a vestigial second mesotibial spur. Sexual dimorphism is slight to altogether absent.

Subgenus Scarabaeolus
Scarabaeolus BALTHASAR - species belonging to this subgenus are morphologically characterized by their small size (relative to most Scarabaeini species), a second vestigial mesotibial spur and hunched body, which closely resembles that of Sceliages. Most are confined to the arid and semi-arid regions of the southern afro-tropics. A few species have a more northerly distribution, such as S. Scholtzi, a flightless species occurring in coastal Somalia. Many species are opportunistic feeders, partitioning various types of dung as well as carrion in regions where dung is a scarce resource. Some species have been observed feeding on carcasses of millipedes and P. femoralis.
The number of recorded species of this subgenus is 41 (March 30, 2018)*

S. flavicornis


KTP

Description
Length 11-19 mm; possesses 2 mesotibial spurs
Distribution
Namibia: Damaraland, Swakopmund. s. Angola, Botswana, Namibia, nw-nc, RSA, Zambia
Habitat
Arid and semi-arid regions
Biology
Nocturnal

* https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/view ... sectamundi

[ExFmem]

Looks like the link at the bottom is incomplete as it doesn't send one to the specific article I referenced. Will correct it soon - gotta go out for a bit.

Okay, fixed it.

[Klipspringer]

The dung beetle is done, now we discuss this one.

A click beetle? Came to night light, rather small


KTP

I am certain that this is a tenebrionid, subfamily Pimeliinae, tribe Tentyriini.

The only genus in this tribe with very long antennae is Afrinus .

Check this observation on ispot:
https://www.ispotnature.org/communities ... nae-beetle

In this very old article you can see how the genus Afrinus looks, several species described (page 140)
https://journals.co.za/docserver/fullte ... 56D71533F9

[ExFmem]

Looks good to me, and the iSpot one is even bluish as well, since many are described as black, reddish, etc. I tried looking to see if I took more pics to show leg detail, face, etc, but only took two and neither shows whether the tarsi are 5-5-4 configuration. It does look to me like the antennae has 11 segments, and that the eyes are notched by the frontal ridge. Other characteristics of the Tenebrionidae that SEEM to match to my highly UNTRAINED eye are: "mandibles short, robust..." , "elytra concealing abdomen and often embracing the sides...", and "claws simple".

It's a good ID to me. Thank you!!

[Klipspringer]

Do you have any info on the Tentyriini tribe?

I would love to learn something about biology etc.