Ataenius

Abstract: Based on 10 specimens from Late Eocene Baltic amber, an extinct species of Eupariini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Airapus lithuanicus Tamutis, Alekseev, & Bukejs new species, is described and illustrated. The new species is compared with two known fossil representatives of Aphodiinae from Baltic amber. The generic placement of these two species, Saprosites succini (Zang, 1905) and Ataenius europaeus Quiel, 1910, is discussed, as are details of paleoecology for the new species.

Abstract: Oscar L. Cartwright. Ataenius, Aphotaenius, and Pseudataenius of the United States and Canada (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 154, 106 pages, 24 figures, 3 plates, 1974.—All known species are fully described; literature citations, synonyms, and a key to the species are provided; and known distribution is recorded and shown by map figures. All species previously ascribed to the area are listed, and the present status of each is presented. Twenty new species are added to the fauna. Ataenius waltnerhorni Balthasar is transferred to the genus Pseudataenius. The following are placed in synonymy: A. fleutiaui Paulian (=havanensis Balthasar), A. cribratus Van Dyke ( = confertus Fall), A. linelli Cartwright (=languidus Schmidt), A. oblongus Horn (=sculptor Harold), A. sulcatula (Chevrolat) and A. frankenbergeri Balthasar (=brevicollis (Wollaston)), A. floridanus Brown and A. solitarius Blatchley {=rhyticephalus (Chevrolat)). Lectotypes are designated for Pseudataenius socialis (Horn), Ataenius insculptus Horn, A. ovatulus Horn, A. cylindrus Horn, A. aequalis Harold, A. sulcatulus (Chevrolat), and A. cognatus (LeConte). Neotypes are established for A. confertus Fall, A nocturnus (Nomura), A. texanus Harold, and A. strigatus (Say). New taxa are Pseudataenius contortus (Florida), Ataenius edistoi (South Carolina), A. parkeri (Arizona), A. rugopygus (Texas), A. duncani (Arizona), A. superficialis (Florida), A. pseudohirsutus (Texas), A. sabinoi (Arizona), A. vandykei (California), A. barberi (Arizona), A. nunenmacheri (Arizona), A. stroheckeri (Florida), A. glaseri (Maryland), A. punctifrons (Minnesota), A. utahensis (Utah), A. hesperius (Arizona), A. sciurus (Florida), A. woodruffi, (Florida), A. griffini (Texas), and A. stephani (Arizona). OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SI PRESS NUMBER 4820. SERIES COVER DESICN: The coral Montastrea cavernosa (Linnaeus). Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Cartwright, Oscar Ling. Ataenius, Aphotaenius, and Pseudataenius of the United States and Canada (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) (Smithsonian contributions to zoology, no. 154) 1. Ataenius. 2. Pseudataenius. 3. Aphotaenius carolinus. I. Title. II. Series: Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian contributions to zoology, no. 154. QL1.S54 no. 154 [QL596.S3] 591'/08s [595.7'64] 73-6912 For sale by Che Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 Price $1.85 (paper cover)

Abstract: Beetles were collected from April 2002 to July 2003 from the following sites in the centre of the state of Veracruz located every 200 m along an altitudinal gradient (1000 - 1400 m asl): three fragments of cloud forest, three shaded coffee plantations, an open canopy coffee plantation, secondary forest, and a pasture. A total of 9,982 specimens were captured, belonging to the families Scarabaeidae and Trogidae, and representing 21 genera and 50 species. The genera Ataenius Harold, Onthophagus Latreille and Aphodius Illiger represented 48% of the species of Scarabaeidae. Species richness was found to decrease with increasing altitude; there were 36 species at 1000 m asl, 27 species between 1200 and 1300 m asl, and 26 species at 1400 m asl. Abundance along the altitudinal gradient follows a pattern of few abundant species and many species with few specimens. Beetle activity is related to precipitation. In the nine communities studied, species richness was observed to increase when precipitation was greater than 100 mm at the beginning of the rainy season. On the landscape scale, there were 44 species during the rainy season, 22 during the windy nortes season, and 24 during the dry season. In terms of trophic guild, 40% of the beetles captured were saprophagous that feed on decomposing organic material from plants and 60% were saprophagous that feed on decomposing organic material from animals (30% necrophagous, 26% coprophagous, 4% telio-necrophagous).

Abstract: Coprophagous beetles were collected from a pasture area using pitfall traps baited with cattle fresh manure, from February to December, 1995. Twenty three species were collected, comprising the following genera: Digitonthophagus, Onthophagus, Dichotomius, Ontherus, Canthon, Canthidium, Ataenius, Aphodius, Pedaridium, Ateuchus, Trichillum, Coprophanaeus, and Megathopomina. Among the species collected Digitonthophagus gazella (Onthophagus gazella) was the most numerous, followed in decreasing order by Ontherus appendiculatus, Trichillum externepunctatum, and Dichotomius anaglypticus. The dung beetles with greater biomass were: D. gazella (Fabr.), O. appendiculatus (Mannerheim), D. anaglypticus (Mannerheim) e D. nisus (Germar). Most of the specimens were collected in the warmer and moister months in the year (February, March, April and December). During drier months, June to October, less than 20% of the total specimens were collected. Among the species, those with greater biomass were collected in the crepuscular-nocturnal period.