Onthophagus unifasciatus

Onthophagus unifasciatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Genus: Onthophagus
Species:
O. unifasciatus
Binomial name
Onthophagus unifasciatus
(Schaller, 1783)
Synonyms
  • Scarabaeus unifasciatus Schaller, 1783
  • Scarabaeus unifasciatus Fabricius, 1792
  • Onthophagus prolixus Walker, 1858
  • Onthophagus unifasciatus Arrow, 1931

Onthophagus unifasciatus, is a species of true dung beetle native to India and Sri Lanka.[1][2][3][4]

Description

Average length is about 6 to 9 mm. Body is short, compact and shining. Dorsum coppery green or dark blue in color. Elytra bright yellow, and decorated with a broad irregular black median band. There is a spot upon the 5th interval close to the base, as well as a transverse spot linking the apical margin. Pronotum strongly punctured which is obliquely retuse in front.[5]

The species is identified as a cause for the disease Scarabiasis,[6][7][8] where specimens were collected from human faeces.[9] There were many reports of children mainly between the ages of 1 and 5 years passing live beetles with their faeces in Sri Lanka.[10]

References

  1. ^ Gunawardena, K. (July 1963). "A Study of Onthophagus Unifasciatus. Schall (Scarabaedae-Coprinii) and Scarabiasis in Ceylon". The Indian Journal of Medical Research. 51: 654–660. PMID 14073616. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  2. ^ Kakkar, Nidhi; Gupta, Sanjeev K. (2010). "Diversity and seasonal fluctuations in dung beetle (Coleoptera) community in Kurukshetra, India". Entomological Research. 40 (3): 189–192. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5967.2010.00275.x. S2CID 85732657. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  3. ^ "New Records to the Species Diversity of Family Scarabaeidae and Hybosoridae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (India)". Academic Journal of Entomology 5 (1): 28-36, 2012. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  4. ^ Hewavithana, Dishane K.; Wijesinghe, Mayuri R.; Dangalle, Chandima D.; Dharmarathne, H. A. S. Gayan (June 2016). "Habitat and dung preferences of scarab beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae: a case study in a tropical monsoon forest in Sri Lanka". International Journal of Tropical Insect Science. 36 (2): 97–105. doi:10.1017/S1742758416000023. S2CID 88131312. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  5. ^ "Scarabaeid beetles of Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh". Zoos' print journal, 2005. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  6. ^ Edirisinghe, J S (1988-01-01). "Scarabiasis". Tropical Doctor. 18 (1): 47–48. doi:10.1177/004947558801800120. PMID 3341092. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  7. ^ Iyengar, M. O. T. (July 1928). "Infestation of the Human Intestine by Corpid Beetles in Bengal". The Indian Medical Gazette. 63 (7): 365–369. PMC 5235717. PMID 29011607.
  8. ^ Strickland, C.; Roy, D. N. (July 1939). "Scarabiasis or the Presence of Beetles in the Intestine". The Indian Medical Gazette. 74 (7): 416–419. PMC 5151429. PMID 29011819.
  9. ^ "SCARABAEIDAE (INDIA COLEOPTERA) OF SILENT VALLEY, KERALA, INDIA WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THREE NEW SPECIES" (PDF). faunaofindia. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  10. ^ "A Study of Onthophagus unifasciaius Schall (Scarabaedae-Coprinii) and Scarabiasis in Ceylon". Indian Journal of Medical Research 1963 Vol.51 No.4 pp.654-60 ref.5 figs, on 2 pls. & 1 graph., 16. Retrieved 2021-07-09.