﻿PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Vol. 102 Washington: 1952 No. 3295 



APHOTAENIUS, A NEW GENUS OF DUNG BEETLE 

 (COLEOPTERA: SC ARAB AEID AE ) 



By O. L. Cartwright 



A NEW South American beetle, which I discovered as I studied the 

 collection of Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in the United 

 States National Museum, has certain characters, especially those of 

 the hind tibiae, that are shared by Ataenius caroUmis "Van Dyke. 

 These peculiar characters, which have precluded the satisfactory in- 

 clusion of carolinus in any known genus of the Aphodiinae, would 

 seem to indicate the advisability of setting up a new genus for the 

 reception of both species. 



APHOTAENIUS, new genus 



General shape elongate oval, very convex, lateral edges of elytra 

 and pronotum posteriorly not visible from directly above. Head 

 moderately large, smooth except for a band of coarse punctures across 

 occiput. Clypeus shallowly emarginate, finely reflexed margin 

 flattened and dorsally angulately widened between two widely placed 

 marginal teeth or denticles, when viewed from directly above the 

 widened margin appearing as an angulate carina and hiding extreme 

 lower edge, which has a much smaller median angulation directed in 

 the opposite direction. Genae bent downward as in Ataenius. 

 Pronotum not crenate, not fimbriate, posterior angles truncate-obtuse, 

 slightly depressed. Pygidium as in Ataenius^ the anterior basal por- 

 tion with a longitudinal groove receiving the ventrally dentate tips 

 of the elytra, this exposed apical portion with a depressed central area. 

 Middle and posterior tibiae with distinct oblique carinae as in Apho- 



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