Hide Beetles
Trogidae
Summary 2
Trogidae or hide beetles are a family of beetles with a distinctive warty or bumpy appearance. Found worldwide, the family includes about 300 species contained in three or four genera.
SoCal Status 3
Known Species per The California Beetle Database .
Omorgus punctatus
Omorgus suberosus
Trox atrox
Trox gemmulatus
Origins 2
Hide beetles are found worldwide. More species of Trogidae are found in dry environments instead of moist environments; typically temperate plains areas. Each genus is more diverse in different regions of the world. Trox is found in the Holarctic/Ethiopian area; Omorgus within the southern continents; and Polynoncus is found in South America.
There is controversy over whether Trogidae it its own family or a subfamily of Scarabaeidae. One major reason for the dispute between classifications is the possible evolution of the ommatidium in the eyes. Different environmental pressures and predators may have led to the adaptation of ommatidium structures within this family. For example the more advanced and numerous the ommatidium the more present the larger the ability of the insect to escape and elude predators. Trogidae may have evolved in Australia.
Anatomy 2
Trogidae are characterized by their distinct dirt-encrusted, warty or bumpy appearance. They are usually brown, gray, or black in color and are covered with short, dense setae. Their body shape is oblong to oval with a flat abdomen and their length varies from 2 to 20 millimeters. The antenna of hide beetles are usually short and clubbed. The hardened elytra of Trogidae, which are generally covered with small knobs giving the beetle their rough appearance, meet along the midline of the body and cover the entire abdomen and well-developed wings. Their head is bent down and covered by the pronotum. They also have heavy limbs and spurs resembling those of scarab beetles. Trogidae larvae are a creamy yellow/white in color, except at their caudal end which darkens as it accumulates with feces. Their heads are dark and heavily sclerotized. The abdominal segments of hide beetles have at least one or more transverse rows of setae.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Udo Schmidt, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trox_(Omorgus)_baccatus_Gerstaecker,_1867_(4256928562).jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trogidae
- (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
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