Sulcophanaeus imperator
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| Sulcophanaeus imperator | |
|---|---|
| Male Sulcophanaeus i. imperator | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Scarabaeiformia |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Genus: | Sulcophanaeus |
| Species: | S. imperator |
| Binomial name | |
| Sulcophanaeus imperator (Chevrolat, 1844) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Sulcophanaeus imperator is a brightly colored species of dung beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae. This diurnal, coprophagous beetle is native to south-central South America and generally common.[1] It is paracoprid, meaning that adults dig tunnels into the soil under the food source and move parts of the food source to a nest chamber where the eggs are laid.[2]
Subspecies
There are three subspecies,[6][7] which alternatively have been considered as color phases.[3]
- Sulcophanaeus imperator imperator (Chevrolat, 1844) ("golden phase") – widespread in central and northern Argentina, Paraguay
- Sulcophanaeus imperator alticollis Arnaud, 2002 ("red phase") – highlands of Bolivia, northern Argentina
- Sulcophanaeus imperator obscurus Arnaud, 2002 ("green phase") – only known from La Rioja, Argentina