Key to the Dung Beetles in Sumatran Oil Palm (BEFTA) Max Brown, Eleanor Slade & Darren Mann 1 Sexing dung beetles HORNS ♀ ♂ 2 Higher level key to Scarabaeidae and Aphodiinae 1.A –Asymmetrical antennal club 3-7 segmented and lamellate, segments able to fit together closely. Pronotum not covering 2.A - Midcoxae extending along anterior head. Foretibia flattened with one or more 3.A - Pygidium almost always exposed and posterior axis, trochanters widely separated. Key to genera teeth on outer edge. Tarsi have 5 distinct with rounded body shape (except Oniticellini) segments. Abdomen has 6 ventral sclerites. Elytra not widely separated at apex. 3.B - Pygidium covered by apex of elytra, Aphodiinae 2.B - Midcoxae extend inwards, lying laterally usually less than 6mm and parallel sided with trochanters close, not a dung beetle. 1.B - None of the above, not a dung beetle 1.A – Dung 1.B – Not a 2.A – Dung 2.B – Not a Beetle Dung Beetle Beetle Dung Beetle 3.A – Pygidium almost 3.B – Pygidium almost always exposed always covered by elytra 3 Key to Genera 4.A - Scutellum clearly visible 5.A - Two dents at the base of the pronotum, a large species Onitis sp. 1 between the bases of the elytra >15mm and lacking front tarsi 5.B - None of the above 6.A - Strongly raised elytral striae, punctured in posterior Liatongus femoratus pronotum only, femorae orange. Smaller species <10mm 6.B - Dorso-ventrally flattened, Oniticellus tesselatus very small scutellum, bicoloured yellow and black striped elytra 4.B - Scutellum not visible 7.A - Very dorso-ventrally flattened. Large ring like punctures on pronotum. Parallell sided and <6mm. Females with hairy Eodrepanus sp aff. striatus tufts on the pronotum and tufts down elytral striae. 8.A - Large >20mm, all black, pronotum granulate 7.B - None of the above Catharsius sp aff. renaudpauliani 8.B - Small 4- 9.A - Onthophagus spp with four pronounced teeth on the 16mm, forelegs – most of the Sumatran oil palm Dung Beetles in this Onthophagini genus. 9.B - Very small <4mm, three outer teeth and nearly 90 degree angle on first tooth on front tibia. Male with single conspicuous horn on head Caccobius unicornis Note that some specimens are teneral, i.e. just emerged, and will not show the exact colour patterns seen in the key. This should be kept in mind 4 when seeing a light brown dung beetle specimen. 3.B Aphodiinae, Parallel sided Aphodius sp and pygidium completely covered by elytra 4.A Scutellum 4.B Scutellum not visible. visible e.g Onthophagus species 5 5.A – Two dents at the base 5.B – No large dents of the pronotum – Onitis. at the base of the pronotum 6.A – Strongly raised elytral 6.B - Very small striae and orange femora – scutellum, yellow Liatongus femoratus with black markings and dorso-ventrally flattened – Oniticellus tesselatus 7.B – Parallel sided, no visisble scutellum, ring like pronotal punctuation. Elytra with lines of bristles Strongly dorso-ventrally flattened – Eodrepanus sp aff. striatus 6 8.A – Very large, 8.B – >20mm, all black, Onthophagini, 4- pronotum granulate 16mm Catharsius spp. 9.A – Onthophagus has four pronounced teeth with larger angle on first tibial tooth. 9.B – Caccobius unicornis has three pronounced teeth with smaller angle on first tibial tooth. 7 Onthophagus group 1 9.A - Onthophagus 12.A - Distinctly sp with four shaped notched pronounced teeth 11.A - Pale yellowish clypeus. Brown on the forelegs – brown colour that antennae. Small 4- O. luridipennis most of the is punctured with 6mm Sumatran oil palm black. Dung Beetles in this genus. 12.B - More rounded clypeus. O. rectecornutus Light orange antennae. Large 7- 8mm 11.B - None of the Continue to above Onthophagus Group 2 12.A – Notched clypeus, dark 12.B – Rounded clypeus and brown antennae. Male has orange antennae – two pronotal bumps – Onthophagus rectocornutus Onthophagus luridipennis 11.A – Pale brown colour, punctured with black, top is Onthophagus rectecornutus, bottom is Onthophagus luridipennis 8 Onthophagus Group 2 10.B - Onthophagus species with four 13.A - Body, pronotum pronounced teeth and elytra covered in on the forelegs – long, erect hairs. Eyes O. echinus most of the very large in relation 14.A - Shiny green Sumatran oil palm to body size. 4-5mm Dung Beetles are in 13.B - Body not this genus. covered in long, 14.B - Brown O. vigilans erect hairs, but may have pubescence 15.A - Punctuation fading towards base of pronotum. Often two bumps on pronotum in males. Mostly all matt black , except orange femora. O. ventralis Sometimes orange streak on outer edge of pronotum. 16.A - Pronotum 17.A – Upper body very 15.B – not as completely and coarsely punctured. above evenly Completely black or with O. orientalis punctured. glossy green pronotum. Hairy. Large ~ 8mm 18.A - Yellow 19.A - Three colouration bumps on glossy 17.B - Not around edges of green pronotum coarsely elytra(anterior O. trituber and wavy yellow punctured and posterior) or elytral bands extensively on the elytra 19.B – One bump on 18.B - Matt pronotum. Yellow O. limbatus appearance, with elytral border. May yellow pronotal be broken. flanks in most cases. O. obscurior Pubescence towards outer elytra, no hairs across central elytra. 16.B - 20.A - All glossy black small beetle Pronotum with orange antennae. Basal margin either with bald impunctate, otherwise evenly patches on punctured and hairy throughout. either side that O. foedus Male has deep punctuation on back are surrounded of fore femora. Pubesence on by longer setae, pronotum and all interstriae. or basal margin impunctate. 21.A - Female two ridges on 20.B - Glossy red head. Male single or green horn. Often coloured O. waterstradi yellow flecks at pronotum, with top of elytra and smooth patch often yellow and long setae at pygidium edge of pronotum 21.B – None of 22.A - Short ridge above features. on head – O. crassicollis 22.B - Long9 ridge on head between eyes – O. liliputanus 13.A – Long, erect 14.A - Shining green hairs and large eyes Onthophagus aff. echinus in relation to body. 13.A – Pubescence - shorter and less 14.B - Pale Brown – erect hairs. Small Onthophagus vigilans eyes. 15.A – punctuation fades towards base of pronotum. Often two bumps on pronotum. Mostly orange femora – Onthophagus ventralis 10 16.A – Pronotum 17.A – Large. Upper body very mostly evenly coarsely punctured. Completely punctured. Almost black or with glossy green always two small pronotum. Hairy – bumps on either side Onthophagus orientalis of pronotum. 16.B – Pronotum with smooth patch surrounded by longer hairs or basal margin impunctate. 17.B – Not coarsely punctured on pronotum and elytra. 11 18.A – Orange- 18.B – Matt appearance yellow around edges throughout, yellow of elytra or pronotal flanks - extensively on elytra Onthophagus obscurior in a distinctive pattern. 19.A – three bumps on 20.A - An all glossy pronotum except in black small beetle minor male, pronotum with orange shiny green; yellow antennae. Basal wavy elytral bands margin inpunctate, always present – otherwise evenly Onthophagus trituber punctured and hairy throughout – Onthophagus foedus 19.B – only ever a single bump on pronotum; pronotum not shiny green; yellow broken elytral border – Onthophagus limbatus 12 21.A –Male single horn. 20.B – Glossy red or green ♂ pronotum, with smooth Female two ridges on patch and long setae at head Often yellow flecks edge of pronotum. at top of elytra and often yellow pygidium - Onthophagus waterstradi ♀ 13 22.A – Onthophagus crassicollis Short basal ridge on head. Pronotum lighter green/brown. Very long and curved basal segment of hind tarsus. 22.B – Onthophagus lilliputanus – Pronotum Front femora narrower, with longer teeth. dark green. Basal ridge on head nearly touching both eyes. 14 Aphodiinae 15 Onitis sp. 1 16 Liatongus femoratus 17 Oniticellus tesselatus 18 Eodrepanus sp near striatulus 19 Catharsius aff. renaudpailiani ♀ ♂ 20 Onthophagus luridipennis 21 Onthophagus rectecornutus ♀ ♂ 22 Onthophagus aff. echinus ♀ ♂ 23 Onthophagus vigilans ♀ ♂ 24 Onthophagus ventralis ♀ ♂ 25 Onthophagus orientalis ♀ ♂ 26 Onthophagus trituber ♀ ♂ 27 Onthophagus limbatus ♀ ♂ 28 Onthophagus obscurior ♀ ♂ 29 Onthophagus foedus 30 Onthophagus waterstradi ♀ ♂ 31 Onthophagus crassicollis ♀ ♂ 32 Onthophagus lilliputanus 33 Catharsius sp. 8.A - Large >20mm, al black, pronotum granulate 10.A - Underside of thorax between front two legs a row of hairs – renaudpauliana turn beetle towards the light 10.B - Underside of thorax between front two legs no hairs– turn dayacus beetle towards the light 10.A – Row of hairs between legs on a ridge - 10.B – No row of hairs between C. renaudpauliani legs on a ridge - C. dayacus 34.