Pentodontini, Mulsant, 1842

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 : 289

Tribe Pentodontini

The tribe Pentodontini is the largest tribe of dynastines (with about 100 genera and over 560 species), and it is cosmopolitan in its geographic distribution. There are 32 genera and more than 150 species in the New World ( López-García et al. 2016); one of these, Heteronychus arator (Fabricius) , was introduced into Brazil from Africa. López-García (2019) provided strong evidence based on a phylogenetic analysis that Tomarus , Ligyrus Burmeister , and Euligyrus Casey are distinct genera. Two genera and three species occur in Chile.

Adult pentodontines are distinguished by the presence of tubercles, a carina, or a fovea on the head and/or pronotum; mandibles with or without teeth; propygidium with or without a stridulatory structure; protibia usually tridentate; apex of the metatibia usually truncate and margined with short, spine-like setae or stout spinules; and protarsus occasionally enlarged in males. Dimorphism between males and females is slight or absent.

Most, if not all, adult pentodontines are nocturnal and so are rarely seen except at lights at night. Adults are known to feed on foliage, organic material in the soil, and plant roots. The larvae develop in the soil where they feed on roots, humus, decaying leaves, and large decaying roots.