2003/09/01 by Kevina Vulinec, W. D. Edmonds, David J. Mellow
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography #Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna #Plant and soil sciences
paper · doi:10.1649/639
Abstract The rare phanaeine dung beetle Phanaeus alvarengai Arnaud 1984 was described from two specimens. Several recent collections of this species are reported here, along with behavioral observations; this new material is a basis for amending earlier descriptions of P. alvarengai. Flight-activity period was recorded as near sunrise for no more than 10 minutes and diet preference appeared to be herbivore dung. Dung-burial behavior was similar to the congeners P. chalcomelas (Perty) and P. cambeforti Arnaud.