Trogidae
Illustration of Trox sabulosus from Reitter The beetles of the German Empire
The Erdkäfer ( Trogidae ) are a family of beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. The world used family consists of three genera and about 300 species. In Europe, 23 species from two genera were detected. In Central Europe, only the genus Trox is represented by seven species. The African fauna includes about 70 species of the family, about half of each of the genera Trox and Omorgus, South America is the latter genus about two-thirds of the species, the rest falls on the genus Polynoncus. In Australia, 51 species of the genus Omorgus and the entrained Trox scaber are detected in North America are 16 species of the genus Omorgus and 25 species of the genus Trox home.
- 4.1 Notes and references
- 4.2 Literature
Features
Beetle
The beetles are 5 to 25 millimeters long. They have an elongated oval, convex body. This is brown or gray to black in color, and often covered with gray, yellow or brown hairs. dorsally, the animals are often filthy. The Frontoclypealnaht is clearly in the genus Omorgus in Trox difficult to recognize. The compound eyes have no canthus ( an entrant in the eye contour projection of the head capsule which is partially, or even completely, divides the eye into an upper and a lower section ). The structure of the ommatidia are different. The nasopharynx is symmetrical or asymmetrical and has side Tormae ( a pair of small, usually dark colored sclerites side of the lower lip ). The sensors are zehngliedrig and have a tripartite lobe. The mandibles have a well-developed brush and Prostheca ( a movable, finger -shaped extension ). The Maxillarpalpen are four members. The mentum and Prementum of the lower lip have grown normally. The indentations of the hips ( coxae ) of the middle legs are closed. A Empodium ( release tab on the feet to attach to smooth surfaces ) is missing. The subalare Tendon of the wing vein 2Ax is short, narrow and rounded at the tip, 2BP has oblique waves at the media loader, mesial missing from the medial and distal bridge of 2BP and RP34. There are formed five visible Ventrite (visible ventral sclerites ) on the abdomen. The lying in the Pleuralmembranen spiracles on the abdomen at Trox have a double opening, with the other species they are like a sieve ( cribriform ). In Trox is the first to seventh functional, at Omorgus is also the eighth functional. The aedeagus is strongly sclerotized and consists of a distinct symmetrical triple lobe. In females, the tergites, and sternites pleurite of the ninth abdominal segment as clearly sclerotized areas are visible. Hemisternite with Styli are available.
Larvae
The body of the larvae is broadly C-shaped. They have a nearly black head. The segments of the thorax and the first six abdominal segments are dorsally divided into three folds. The cranium is symmetrical. At least one point of the eye ( Ocellus ) is always formed. The sensors are tripartite and have no great sense stain. The mandibles are asymmetrical, have a ventral appendage and ventral no area for stridulate. Galea and lacinia are clearly separated. An organ for noise generation lack the leg rings ( trochanter ) of the middle legs and hind legs. The stigmata are either sieve-like as in the imago or have a double opening.
Way of life
The Erdkäfer are unique within the superfamily Scarabaeoidea in the sense that feed both the larvae and the imagoes of all types mainly of keratin. The animals are among the few insects that visit the carcass. They also feed on old skins, feathers and various other animal remains. Erdkäfer were also detected when feeding on bat guano in caves or hollow trees. The adults can generate different from the larvae by stridulation audible noise. The females lay their eggs usually from under carcasses. The larvae move pieces of skin and hair in their vertically below the cadaver into the soil reaching the tunnel.
Taxonomy and systematics
The phylogenetic position of the most primitive families within the superfamily Scarabaeoidea has been interpreted in different ways in the course of the history of research and is not yet fully understood. Crowson put them in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. Howden suggested in a paper from the year 1982, a phylogenetic proximity to the Hybosoridae. On the basis of wing features a phylogenetic position between the Glaphyridae and Bolboceratidae Pleocomidae was suspected later. The family could be a sister group of the passaliden subgroup of the superfamily.
The Erdkäger family is a well established group that has many features derived. The following autapomorphies support the monophyly: The imagines the attachment of the subalaren Tendons of the wing vein is 2Ax rounded short, narrow and apically, 2BP has oblique waves at the media loader, mesial missing from the medial and distal bridge of 2BP and RP34. In addition, the diet of keratin is characteristic. The larvae are the long bristles on the body spiral, the cranium and the Tergum of the prothorax are significantly darker than the rest of the body and almost black, the Galea has membranous subdivisions and the basal member of the labial palps has dorsal bristle- like structures. In addition, the life of cadavers is typical.
The following list covers all genres, as well as the European species:
- Genus Trox ( Holakrits, Afrotropical ) Trox cadaverinus Illiger, 1801
- Trox cotodognanensis Compte, 1986
- Trox cribrum Gené, 1836
- Trox Cricetulus Ádám, 1994
- Trox eversmanni Krynicky, 1832
- Trox Fabricius empires, 1853
- Trox granulipennis Fairmaire, 1852
- Trox hispidus Pontoppidan, 1763
- Trox flap richi Pittino, 1983
- Trox leonardii Pittino, 1983
- Trox litoralis Pittino, 1991
- Trox martini Reitter, 1892
- Trox morticinii Pallas, 1781
- Trox niger Rossi, 1792
- Trox nodulosus Harold, 1872
- Trox perlatus Goeze, 1777
- Trox perrisii Fairmaire, 1868
- Trox sabulosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Trox scaber (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Trox sordidatus Balthasar, 1936
- Trox transversus empires, 1856
- Omorgus subcarinatus ( MacLeay, 1864)
- Omorgus suberosus (Fabricius, 1775)