Pachylomera femoralis
| Flattenened giant dung beetle | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Subfamily: | Scarabaeinae |
| Tribe: | Scarabaeini |
| Genus: | Pachylomera |
| Species: | P. femoralis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pachylomera femoralis Kirby, 1828
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Pachylomera femoralis is a species of blackish gray dung beetle from the family Scarabaeidae,[2] which is widespread in the woodland and savannah regions of Africa south of the equator.
Range[edit]
It has been recorded in the Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.[3]
Biology[edit]
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It is the largest flying, ball-rolling dung beetle in the world. The front legs, that it walks on while rolling the dung ball, are particularly strong. It specializes to some extent on buffalo and elephant dung and constructs a large ball, with the flattened leg appendages. The front legs have a rufous velvet patch each, that are used to wipe the eyes clean. The eyes are oriented to provide a good downward view while flying. The dung ball is rolled away from their con-specific competitors and buried in the ground. The male forms the dung ball for breeding, and a female will approach and assist in rolling a dung ball which is to her liking.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ "Pachylomera femoralis Kirby, 1828". Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- ^ "Pachylomera femoralis Kirby, 1828". Biolib.cz. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- ^ Pachylomerus femoralis, Zipcode Zoo
- ^ Erik Holm, Projek Aardwolf, Episode 30
External links[edit]
Media related to Pachylomera femoralis at Wikimedia Commons
