Aphodius rufipes
Encyclopedia
Aphodius rufipes, the night-flying dung beetle, is a species of scarab beetle
, first recorded by the zoologist Carl Linnaeus as Acrossus rufipes in his 10th edition
of Systema Naturae
.
for "red foot". It shares this name with a number of other species including the spider Sphodros rufipes
.
Its British common name "the night-flying dung beetle" is given due to it being common for it to mistakenly find its way on its night-time flight from the dung-fields, to artificial lights among human habitation.
genus. It has ten ridges on each of its wing-covers (called elytra
). It has a shovel-shaped head which it used to move the earth when it burrows.
it is usually seen between the months of April and October. The beetle is particularly sensitive to light. During the daytime hours or under artificial light, it instinctively burrows into the nearest moist soil or preferably fresh dung. From at least 4 centimetres (1.6 in) underneath the soil it is able to sense that night has fallen, since it soon emerges from the soil when all light is extinguished, and prepares for its night-time flight in search of mates or new sources of food.
, which is able to latch-on to the beetle's body beneath its hard shell, and remain securely attached when the beetle is burrowing or flying. The beetle thus provides the mites with safety and transport, while the mites are known to feed on mould in the dung, that would otherwise cause the beetle's source of food to decompose.
Scarabaeidae
The family Scarabaeidae as currently defined consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. The species in this large family are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family is fairly unstable, with numerous competing theories, and new proposals appearing quite...
, first recorded by the zoologist Carl Linnaeus as Acrossus rufipes in his 10th edition
10th edition of Systema Naturae
The 10th edition of Systema Naturae was a book written by Carl Linnaeus and published in two volumes in 1758 and 1759, which marks the starting point of zoological nomenclature...
of Systema Naturae
Systema Naturae
The book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
.
Etymology
The species name is LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "red foot". It shares this name with a number of other species including the spider Sphodros rufipes
Sphodros rufipes
The Red legged purseweb spider is a mygalomorph spider from the southern USA, though it has been photographed as far north as Indiana, Missouri and New Jersey.The species name rufipes is Latin for "red foot"....
.
Its British common name "the night-flying dung beetle" is given due to it being common for it to mistakenly find its way on its night-time flight from the dung-fields, to artificial lights among human habitation.
Description
The outer body ranges from dark brown to black, while the legs are black with a red tinge. At 9–13 mm (0.354330708661417–0.511811023622047 ) in size, it is one of the largest of the AphodiusAphodius
Aphodius is a genus of beetles in the Scarabaeidae family.-Species:This genus has numerous species:* Aphodius ater * Aphodius bimaculatus * Aphodius borealis Gyllenhal, 1827...
genus. It has ten ridges on each of its wing-covers (called elytra
Elytron
An elytron is a modified, hardened forewing of certain insect orders, notably beetles and a few of the true bugs ; in most true bugs, the forewings are instead called hemelytra, as only the basal half is thickened while the apex is membranous...
). It has a shovel-shaped head which it used to move the earth when it burrows.
Behaviour
This species feeds and breeds in various types of dung, and in the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
it is usually seen between the months of April and October. The beetle is particularly sensitive to light. During the daytime hours or under artificial light, it instinctively burrows into the nearest moist soil or preferably fresh dung. From at least 4 centimetres (1.6 in) underneath the soil it is able to sense that night has fallen, since it soon emerges from the soil when all light is extinguished, and prepares for its night-time flight in search of mates or new sources of food.
Symbiosis
The beetle has a symbiotic relationship with at least one species of miteMite
Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology.-Diversity and systematics:...
, which is able to latch-on to the beetle's body beneath its hard shell, and remain securely attached when the beetle is burrowing or flying. The beetle thus provides the mites with safety and transport, while the mites are known to feed on mould in the dung, that would otherwise cause the beetle's source of food to decompose.