Heterochelus sulphureus

Heterochelus sulphureus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Scarabaeiformia
Family: Scarabaeidae
Genus: Heterochelus
Species:
H. sulphureus
Binomial name
Heterochelus sulphureus
Boheman, 1857

Heterochelus sulphureus is a species of beetle of the family Scarabaeidae.[1] It is found in South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape).[2][3]

Description

Adults reach a length of about 6.5–8 mm (0.26–0.31 in). They are very dark brown or fuscous and with a metallic tinge, which is very noticeable on the hind legs. The head and pronotum are clothed with a very short, but dense yellowish-green pubescence. The elytra are entirely covered with yellowish-green scales. The pygidium is scaly and has two basal, brownish, velvety patches. Females are much smaller than males and have chestnut-brown elytra with four bands of yellowish lanceolate hairs on each side. The pygidium is covered with yellowish scales, and has two basal, dark brown spots.[3]

References

  1. ^ BioLib
  2. ^ Schoolmeesters, P. (2025). "Heterochelus sulphureus at Catalogue of Life". World Scarabaeidae Database (version 2025-10-07). In O. Bánki, Y. Roskov, M. Döring, G. Ower, D. R. Hernández Robles, C. A. Plata Corredor, T. Stjernegaard Jeppesen, A. Örn, T. Pape, D. Hobern, S. Garnett, H. Little, R. E. DeWalt, J. Miller, T. Orrell, & R. Aalbu, Catalogue of Life (2026-01-16). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Catalogue of Life Foundation. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  3. ^ a b Péringuey, L. (1902). "Descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa (Lucanidae and Scarabaeidae), Sub-families: Rutelinae, Hopliinae". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 12: 561–920. Retrieved March 6, 2026. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.