Phoberus fumarius
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| Phoberus fumarius | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Scarabaeiformia |
| Family: | Trogidae |
| Subfamily: | Troginae |
| Genus: | Phoberus |
| Species: | P. fumarius |
| Binomial name | |
| Phoberus fumarius | |
Phoberus fumarius is a species of hide beetle in the subfamily Troginae discovered by Erwin Haaf in 1953.[2][3]
Taxonomically, P. fumarius was initially placed in the subgenus Trox (Phoberus). Because P. fumarius is extremely similar to Phoberus cyrtus, and because P. fumarius was described from only 4 individual beetles, the scientific community treated P. fumarius as a synonym of P. cyrtus. When Phoberus was recognized as a full genus, taxonomists moved P. cyrtus, and the synonym P. fumarius along with it, from the genus Trox to the genus Phoberus. Cutting-edge beetle cleaning techniques allowed coleopterologists Strümpher and Stals to discern important anatomical differences between P. fumarius and P. cyrtus, reinstating the former as a distinct species.[4]
Within the genus, P. fumarius is most similar to P. cyrtus and P. sulcatus, and researchers have often confused the three species for each other. Carefully inspecting the hide beetles' male genitalia suffices to distinguish the three species. The male genitalia of P. fumarius male genitalia finish at a rounded apex and have broad median lobes, while the male genitalia of P. cyrtus have narrow median lobes that finish at an angular apex. Furthermore, the median lobe of P. sulcatus is divided into two curved sublobes, a feature found in neither P. fumarius nor P. cyrtus.[4]