Ochodaeidae


Ochodaeidae, also known as the sand-loving scarab beetles, is a small family of scarabaeiform beetles occurring in many parts of the world.
These beetles are small, ranging from. Their bodies are elongate and convex, with black and brown colors including yellowish- and reddish-brown shades.
As of 2012, the biology and habits of Ochodaeidae beetles is still mostly unknown. Most types have been collected in sandy areas at night, while some of their species are active during the day.

Taxonomy

Ochodaeidae beetles belong to the infraorder Scarabaeiformia, which contains only one superfamily, the Scarabaeoidea. The most striking feature of the Scarabaeoidea are the ends of their antennae, that are divided into several lamellae, thus resembling a fan. Another distinguishing feature are their legs, that possess teeth and are adapted for digging.
Ochodaeidae is divided into two subfamilies containing five tribes and 15 genera:
  • Subfamily Ochodaeinae Mulsant & Rey, 1871
  • Subfamily Chaetocanthinae Scholtz in Scholtz, D'Hotman, Evans & Nel, 1988

    Literature about Ochodaeidae

  • 2006: A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea with corrections to nomenclature and a current classification. Coleopterists Society monograph, 5: 144–204.; / PDF on the web site of the Zoological Institute of St. Petersburg:
  • ; 2009: Catalogue of type specimens of beetles deposited in the National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic. Scarabaeoidea: Bolboceratidae, Geotrupidae, Glaphyridae, Hybosoridae, Ochodaeidae and Trogidae. , 49: 297–332.
  • 2009: Ochodaeidae species of the Palaearctic's Asia. Euroasian entomological journal, 8: 205–211.
  • ; 2010: The oldest fossil Ochodaeidae from the Middle Jurassic of China. , 2553: 65–68.
  • 1988: Phylogeny and systematics of the Ochodaeidae. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa, 51: 207–240.
  • 2006: , Apollo Books, Stenstrup, Denmark,, p. 95