Scarabaeus


The genus Scarabaeus consists of a number of Afro-Eurasian dung beetle species, including the "sacred scarab beetle", Scarabaeus sacer and is the namesake of the tribe Scarabaeini, the family Scarabaeidae, the superfamily Scarabaeoidea and the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. These beetles feed exclusively on dung, which they accomplish by rolling a piece of dung some distance from where it was deposited, and burying it in order to feed on it underground. They also prepare food for their larvae by excavating an underground chamber, and filling it with balls that have eggs laid in them. The growing larva feeds upon the dung ball, pupates, and eventually emerges as an adult.
A "scarabaeus" is also a now outdated term for an object in the form of a scarab beetle in art. The scarab was a popular form of amulet in Ancient Egypt, and in ancient Greek art engraved gems were often carved as scarabs on the rest of the stone behind the main flattish face, which was used for sealing documents.
A creature identified as Scarabaeus appears in "The Gold-Bug" by Edgar Allan Poe, and a poem entitled "Scarabæus sisyphus" was created by Mathilde Blind.

Subgenera and species

The following subgenera are accepted in BioLib:
  1. Ateuchetus Bedel, 1892
  2. Escarabaeus Zídek & Pokorny, 2011
  3. Kheper Janssens, 1940
  4. Mnematidium Ritsema, 1888
  5. Pachylosoma Zídek & Pokorný, 2008
  6. Pachysoma MacLeay, 1821
  7. Scarabaeolus Balthasar, 1965
  8. Scarabaeus Linnaeus, 1758
  9. incertae sedis
;All species:Scarabaeus acuticollisScarabaeus aegyptiacusScarabaeus aegyptiorumScarabaeus aeratusScarabaeus aesculapiusScarabaeus alienusScarabaeus ambiguusScarabaeus anderseniScarabaeus andreaeiScarabaeus andrewesiScarabaeus armeniacusScarabaeus asceticusScarabaeus baboriScarabaeus bannuensisScarabaeus basutoScarabaeus bennigseniScarabaeus bohemaniScarabaeus bonelliiScarabaeus bornemizzaiScarabaeus brahminusScarabaeus cafferScarabaeus canaliculatusScarabaeus cancerScarabaeus carinatusScarabaeus catenatusScarabaeus cicatricosusScarabaeus clanceyiScarabaeus clericusScarabaeus cognatusScarabaeus confususScarabaeus convexusScarabaeus cristatusScarabaeus cupreusScarabaeus cuvieriScarabaeus damarensisScarabaeus deludensScarabaeus denticollisScarabaeus devotusScarabaeus dioscoridisScarabaeus ebenusScarabaeus endroedyiScarabaeus erichsoniScarabaeus festivusScarabaeus fitzsimonsiScarabaeus flavicornisScarabaeus fraterculusScarabaeus fritschiScarabaeus funebrisScarabaeus furcatusScarabaeus galenusScarabaeus gangeticusScarabaeus gariepinusScarabaeus gilletiScarabaeus glentoniScarabaeus goryiScarabaeus gracaiScarabaeus heqvistiScarabaeus hippocratesScarabaeus hottentorumScarabaeus inoportunusScarabaeus inquisitusScarabaeus intermediusScarabaeus interstitialisScarabaeus intricatusScarabaeus irakensisScarabaeus isidisScarabaeus jalofScarabaeus janssensiScarabaeus karlwerneriScarabaeus karrooensisScarabaeus knobeliScarabaeus kochiScarabaeus kwiluensisScarabaeus laevifronsScarabaeus laevistriatusScarabaeus lamarckiScarabaeus laticollisScarabaeus licitusScarabaeus lucidulusScarabaeus multidentatusScarabaeus namibicusScarabaeus natalensisScarabaeus nigroaeneusScarabaeus nitidicollisScarabaeus obsoletepunctatusScarabaeus opacipennisScarabaeus pabulatorScarabaeus paganusScarabaeus palemoScarabaeus parvulusScarabaeus piliventrisScarabaeus piusScarabaeus planifronsScarabaeus platynotusScarabaeus plausibilisScarabaeus poggeiScarabaeus porosusScarabaeus proboscideusScarabaeus prodigiosusScarabaeus puncticollisScarabaeus pustulosusScarabaeus radamaScarabaeus ritchieiScarabaeus rixosusScarabaeus rodriguesiScarabaeus rotundigenusScarabaeus rubripennisScarabaeus rugosusScarabaeus rusticusScarabaeus sacerScarabaeus sanctusScarabaeus satyrusScarabaeus savignyiScarabaeus schinziScarabaeus scholtziScarabaeus schulzeaeScarabaeus semipunctatusScarabaeus sennaariensisScarabaeus sevoistraScarabaeus silenusScarabaeus spretusScarabaeus striatusScarabaeus subaeneusScarabaeus sulcipennisScarabaeus suriScarabaeus tonckeriScarabaeus transcaspicusScarabaeus typhonScarabaeus valefloraeScarabaeus vanderkelleniScarabaeus vansoniScarabaeus variolosusScarabaeus venerabilisScarabaeus westwoodiScarabaeus vethiScarabaeus viatorScarabaeus vicinusScarabaeus vietteiScarabaeus wilsoniScarabaeus winkleriScarabaeus xavieriScarabaeus zagrosensisScarabaeus zambezianus