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Classification
Superfamily.....
Family ............ Subfamily........
Tribe...............
Subtribe.........
Scarabaeoidea
Scarabaeidae
Cetoniinae
Valgini
Valgina
........Valgus Scriba, 1790 
........Valgus Scriba, 1790: 66 (valid name)
........Acanthurus Kirby, 1827: 155 (junior synonym)
........Homovalgus Kolbe, 1897: 214-215 (junior synonym)


Valgus canaliculatus male
Image by K. A. Swoboda
 
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Map showing the distribution of Valgus species in the New World
 
Cetoniinae Tribes

Goliathini
Gymnetini
Cetoniini
Cremastocheilini
Trichiini
Valgini

 
Cetoniinae Taxa Map

Key to species of Valgini

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Distribution: Nearctic, Palaearctic, and Indomalaysian realms. Nearctic species are found from southern Mexico to the United States.

 
 

Revision or Synopsis:
ARROW, G.J. 1944. The beetles of the lamellicorn subfamily Valginae, with a synopsis of the genera and descriptions of some new species. Trans. Roy. Ent. Soc. London 94:225-246.

CASEY, T.L. 1909. Studies in the Caraboidea and Lamellicornia. Canadian Ent. 41:253-284.

CAZIER, M.A. 1937. A new species of Valgus and a new generic record for Mexico. Pan-Pac. Entomol. 13(4):190-192.

JAMESON, M.L. and K.A. SWOBODA. 2005. Synopsis of scarab beetle tribe Valgini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) in the New World. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 98(5): 658-672.

KRIKKEN, J. 1978. Valgine beetles: A preliminary review of the genera, with descriptions of two novelties. Zoologische Mededelingen 53(15):154-164.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Composition: The genus Valgus contains 20 species worldwide. The five New World species are Valgus californicus Horn, 1870, Valgus canaliculatus (Olivier, 1789), Valgus hemipterus L., 1758, and Valgus seticollis (Palisot de Beauvois, 1807) .

 
 
 
 

Biological Data: Valgus species have a one-year life cycle. Mating occurs within termite galleries in stumps or fallen trees. Females have a pygidial spine that they use to create sites for oviposition. Larvae, pupae, and adults are found in decaying wood associated with termite colonies.

 
 
 
 

Temporal Distribution: Adults have been collected on flowers in the spring and summer.

 
 

Larvae: Valgus larvae feed on the walls of termite burrows in logs or standing dead trees. The larvae of three New World species have been described: Valgus californicus Horn (Ritcher 1966), Valgus canaliculatus (Olivier) (Ritcher 1945, 1966), and Valgus hemipterus L. (Medvedev 1969).

 
 
 
 

Species profiles: (click on species names)

Valgus californicus Horn
Valgus canaliculatus (Olivier)
Valgus hemipterus Linnaeus
Valgus seticollis (Palisot de Beauvois)

 
 
 
 
 
 

Key to species

 

References:
BANKS, N. and T.E. SNYDER. 1920. A revision of the nearctic termites. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 108:1-211.

CAZIER, M.A. 1937. A new species of Valgus and a new generic record for Mexico. Pan-Pac. Entomol. 13(4):190-192.

KRAJCIK, M. 1999. Cetoniidae of the world: Catalogue-Part II. Privately published by author, Czech Republic. 72pp.

MEDVEDEV, S.I. 1969. On the larvae of Valgus hemipterus L. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Entomol. Rev. 48:100-101.

RATCLIFFE, B.C. 1991. The scarab beetles of Nebraska. Bulletin Univ. Nebr. St. Mus. 12:1-333.

RITCHER, P.O. 1945. North American Cetoniinae with descriptions of their larvae and keys to genera and species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Ky. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. 476, 39pp.

RITCHER, P.O. 1958. Biology of Scarabaeidae. Annual Rev. of Entomology 3:311-344.

RITCHER, P.O. 1966. White Grubs and Their Allies. Oregon St. Univ. Press, Corvallis. 219 p.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
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Author: Katharine A. Swoboda
Generated on:
06/MAR/2002.....Last modified: 26/JUN/2007
University of Nebraska State Museum - Division of Entomology