How many species are in the family Scarabaeidae?
Scarabaeidae currently consists of over 35,000 species of beetles worldwide. They are commonly called scarabs or scarab beetles.
Questions about Scarabaeidae
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the size range of scarab beetles?
Scarab beetles range in size from 1.5 millimetres to 160 millimetres in length. The largest known fossil scarabaeid, Oryctoantiquus borealis, measured 50 millimetres.
How do scarab beetle antennae work?
Scarab antennae are made up of thin plates called lamellae. At rest the beetle keeps them compressed into a ball; when following a scent, it fans the lamellae outward to expose more surface area and sense odours.
Why was the scarab beetle sacred in Ancient Egypt?
Scarabaeus sacer, the dung beetle, was revered as sacred in Ancient Egypt. Egyptian amulets representing the sacred scarab were traded throughout the Mediterranean world.
What is unusual about the shells of some Scarabaeidae beetles?
Several members of Scarabaeidae have structurally coloured shells that act as left-handed circular polarizers. This was the first-discovered example of circular polarization in nature.
Which Scarabaeidae beetles are active during the day?
The flower chafers (Cetoniinae) and many leaf chafers (Rutelinae) are diurnal. Most other adult scarab beetles are nocturnal.