Phileurini, Burmeister, 1847

Ratcliffe, Brett C., Cave, Ronald D. & Mondaca, José, 2021, The Dynastine Scarab Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of Chile, The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (2), pp. 279-309 : 293-294

Tribe Phileurini

The Phileurini are comprised of 36 genera and about 225 species, and they occur in all biogeographic regions except the poles. There are 22 genera in the New World, with about 130 species. Chile has one genus and one species.

Adult phileurines are recognized by a large mentum that covers the bases of the labial palpi; a usually acuminate clypeus; frons usually with two tubercles or horns; pronotum usually with a longitudinal, median furrow; elytra usually flattened; protibia with three or four teeth; and apex of the metatibia truncate or armed with 1–3 teeth. In some species, the concavity of the vertex differs between the sexes, with the males having a deeply hollowed pit, while the females do not. Most species are passalid-like in overall appearance because of their glossy, black coloration, flattened bodies, and usually furrowed elytra.

Adult phileurines are nocturnal, and apparently only some are attracted to lights. Some species are inquilines with ants or termites (Ratcliffe and Skelley 2011; Vanin et al. 1983) while others live in decaying wood in a fashion similar to that of passalids, although without the subsociality. There is little information on larval stages, life history, and larval development. A few larvae are known that were collected from rotting wood or termite or ant nests.