Archophileurus Kolbe, 1910

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 : 294

Archophileurus Kolbe, 1910

Archophileurus Kolbe 1910: 334 . Amblyophileurus Kolbe 1910: 334 (synonym).

Periphileurus Kolbe 1910: 334 (synonym). Anisophileurus Prell 1912: 182 (described as subgenus of Amblyphileurus ; synonym).

Archophileurus currently contains 32 species ( Di Iorio et al. 2017; Endrödi 1977a, 1985; Ratcliffe and Cave 2015; Ratcliffe et al. 2020). The species are widely distributed, mostly in southern South America. Many species are rarely collected, often as singletons, and a female not associated with a male at the time of collection is virtually impossible to identify. Specimens in older collections are frequently misidentified, especially if the parameres have not been examined to determine their form, and so the distributional data based on undissected museum specimens is questionable.

The genus is easily distinguished by the truncate metatibial apex with numerous small spinules instead of large, distinct teeth. Nearly all species of Archophileurus have a distinctive fringe of reddish brown setae arising from beneath the lateral margins of the pronotum. The immature stages and life history are unknown for all of the species. Di Iorio et al. (2017) and Endrödi (1977a, 1985) provided the most recent synopses of Archophileurus .