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Geopsammodius Gordon and Pittino 1992
Geopsammodius Gordon and Pittino 1992: 267.

 

 
Geopsammodius hydropicus (Horn)
Photo by Paul Skelley.
Classification
Superfamily.....
Family...........
Subfamily......
Tribe.............
Scarabaeoidea
Scarabaeidae
Aphodiinae
Psammodiini
 

 

Aphodiinae Overview

Aphodiinae Key

Psammodiini Key
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Type species. Psammodius hydropicus Horn 1887: 97, by original designation.

 
 
 
Diagnosis. Body length 2.3-3.5 mm, globose, pale reddish-brown to almost black, dorsal surfaces glabrous. Head surface granulate, frontal suture lacking, eyes greatly reduced. Clypeus rounded each side of median emargination. Pronotum with vestiges of 3 transverse grooves, absent on some, some with a partial 4th groove (up to 5 weak ridges). Elytra shortened, rounded, base not margined; intervals flattened to moderately convex; striae 9 merging with 10 slightly posterior of middle, interval 10 just over half length of elytra. Metafemur robust. Metatibia curved, greatly widened at apex; median transverse carina usually lacking, weakly developed in some. Metatarsi shortened, basal segment triangular. Hind wing reduced to strap.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Distribution. Southeastern North America, Honduras, French Guiana.
 

Composition. Geopsammodius contains 11 species.

Geopsammodius atlantida
Skelley 2006: 104, Honduras.
Geopsammodius fuscus Skelley 2006: 104-106, FL-US.
Geopsammodius hydropicus (Horn 1887: 97) [Psammodius], coastal E-US (NC to FL).
Geopsammodius morrisi Skelley 2006: 106-107, FL-US.
Geopsammodius ohoopee Skelley 2006: 107-108, GA-US.
Geopsammodius rileyi Skelley 2006: 109-110, W-Gulf coast US (TX-LA).
Geopsammodius relictillus (Deyrup and Woodruff 1991: 76) [Psammodius], FL-US.
Geopsammodius sabinae Lavalette 1999: 289, French Guiana.
Geopsammodius subpedalis Skelley 2006: 110-111, N-Gulf coast US (MS-FL).
Geopsammodius unsidensis Skelley 2006: 111, TX-US.
Geopsammodius withlacoochee Skelley 2006: 111-112, FL-US.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Life History. Rarely or never coming to the surface, adults and larvae are sifted from loose, windblown sand deposits; usually associated to coastal or prehistoric beaches. They prefer areas with little apparent organic matter, often near the roots of dune stabilizing plants.
 
 
 
 
Larvae. The larvae of G. hydropicus is most recently described in Ritcher (1966).
 
 

References:
Ritcher, P.O. 1966. White grubs and their allies: A study of North American scarabaeoid larvae. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, Oregon. Studies in Entomology 4: 219 pp.
Skelley, P. E. 2006. A revision of the genus Geopsammodius Gordon and Pittino, 1992 (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Psammodiini). Insecta Mundi 20(1-2): 101-112.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Author: Paul Skelley

Generated on: 08/JAN/08.....Last modified: 08/JAN/08
University of Nebraska State Museum - Division of Entomology