Family Scarabaeidae

The huge family Scarabaeidae contains some of the most conspicuous and abundant of all African insects, such as dung beetles, rose beetles, rhinoceros beetles, chafers and many others. The dung beetles include several subfamilies of the large family Scarabaeidae, the scarab beetles. 

Order Coleoptera (All beetles)
Superfamily (oidea) SCARABAEOIDEA = All Scarabs
Family (idae) LUCANIDAE = Stag beetles
Family PASSALIDAE
Family TROGIDAE = Hair / skin beetles
Family GLARESIDAE
Family PLEOCOMIDAE
Family DIPHYLLOSTOMATIDAE
Family GEOTRUPIDAE
Family BOLBOCERATIDAE

Family BELOHINIDAE

Family OCHODAEIDAE
Family CERATOCANTHIDAE
Family HYBOSORIDAE

Family GLAPHYRIDAE

Family SCARABAEIDAE = Better known scarabs

       Subfamily (inae) Aphodiinae = Small dung scarabs

       Subfamily Dynamopodinae

       Subfamily Scarabaeinae = Large dung scarabs

       Subfamily Pachypodinae

       Subfamily Orphninae

       Subfamily Allidiostomatinae

       Subfamily Dynamopodinae

       Subfamily Aclopinae

       Subfamily Euchirinae

       Subfamily Phaenomeridinae

       Subfamily Melolonthinae = Leaf chafers

       Subfamily Rutelinae = Flower chafers

       Subfamily Dynastinae = Rhino beetles

         Subfamily Cetoniinae = Fruit chafers

Scarabs, Dung beetles (Subfamily: Scarabaeinae)

There are thousands of species of dung beetles, occurring worldwide wherever dung is found. Adults range from 2 to over 50 mm in length. Most species are dark colored, but a few have bright patterns or even metallic colors. Many species have distinctive horns or other processes. Dung beetles were ancient sacred symbols in Egypt. Dung beetles break up dung of horses, donkeys, cattle and even that of dogs and cats, to form a ball and roll it away. The dung ball is buried and the female lays her eggs in the buried dung ball. Some dung beetles roll their dung ball a considerable distance from the source, while others burrow near or even underneath the place where they found it. There are also dung beetle relatives that feed on carrion, fungus and vegetation litter.

Some species of dung beetle prefer certain habitats (e.g. grassland or forest) or certain soil types (e.g. sand or clay). Some species feed on dung of only one species of animal, while others are less choosy. Most eat dung, but some scavenge carcasses or feed in decaying vegetation or fungi. Both adults and larvae feed on the food source. Some species shape a brood ball which they roll away to bury, while others simply dig burrows under or near the food and pack it into them. The pictures above show one such brood ball, both whole (upper left) and cut-away to reveal the larva inside.

Fruit and Flower chafers  (Subfamily: Centoniinae)

Related to the dung beetles are the chafer beetles. These beetles are brown or grayish and only active at night. They feed on the leaves of many garden plants and can even strip a plant of all its leaves! These beetles are strongly attracted to light and may become a nuisance in houses on summer evenings. These are medium to large beetles that are often very brightly coloured. They are pests on fruit, flowers and the leaves of plants. They have broad bodies that are dorsally flattened. Flower beetles feed by day on plant juices such as gum and nectar from ripe fruit. They are also attracted to flowers such as roses. They are inactive at night and often group together in “sleeping trees”. They also rest in the soil at the base of their food plant. Most flower beetles are pests, but some are beneficial and feed on scale insects. There are some flower beetles that are problematic in beehives as they feed on the honey and brood.

Rhinoceros Beetles  (Subfamily: Dynastinae)

Dynastines are elongate and convex black or brown beetles of medium to large size (10 to 45 mm). They are best known for the large horns on the head and pronotum of the males of many species, hence the common name. Adults do not usually feed but a few species are serious pests of crop plants. The larvae usually occur in compost or dung kraals.

Leaf chafers  (Subfamily: Rutelinae)

Rutelines are a diverse group varying from small colourful furry beetles (4mm) to brightly coloured metallic ones active by day to medium sized (12mm) ones, dull in colour and active at night. The best characteristic to distinguish them from other groups is the unequal sized tarsal claws. The furry "monkey beetles" bury themselves in flowers in which they feed and use their powerful hindlegs to extricate themselves from flowers. The night-flying species eat the leaves of many plants and some are serious pest. The larvae (white grubs) feed on plant litter and roots and are often serious pests of crops and lawns.

Monekey Beetle