Xeropsamobeus Saylor 1937
Xeropsamobeus Saylor 1937: 36.

Xeropsamobeus desertus (VanDyke) Photo by P. Skelley.

Type species. Psammodius desertus VanDyke 1918: 10, by original designation.

Diagnosis. Body length 2.8-6.0 mm, elongate to shortened, psammodiiform, yellowish brown or with dark head and pronotum. Head with frontal suture raised, at least laterally, surface strongly punctate, rugose or granulate. Clypeus rounded or dentate each side of median emargination. Pronotum not laterally explanate, usually with lateral fringe of seta; basal line usually complete. Elytral surface smooth. Metafemur usually robust. Metatibia usually notably widened apically; metatibial apical spinules long or short, unequal in length. Metatarsus short, basal segment shorter than superior spur, often triangularly widened distally.

Distribution. Western North America into Mexico.

Composition. Xeropsamobeus contains 10 species.

Xeropsamobeus acerbus (Horn 1887: 56) [Aphodius], TX-USA.
Xeropsamobeus ambiguus (Fall 1907: 241) [Psammodius], NM-TX-USA.
Xeropsamobeus arenicolus Gordon and Skelley 2007: 512, UT-USA.
Xeropsamobeus asellus (Schmidt 1907: 201) [Aphodius], TX-USA.
             = Aphodius nanus Horn 1887: 55, [not Aphodius nanus Fairmaire 1860].
Xeropsamobeus brighti Gordon and Skelley 2007: 514, NM-USA.
Xeropsamobeus desertus (VanDyke 1918: 10) [Psammodius], CA-USA, Mexico.
Xeropsamobeus doyeni Gordon and Skelley 2007: 517, CA-USA.
Xeropsamobeus mohavei Gordon and Skelley 2007: 519, AZ-USA.
Xeropsamobeus padrei Gordon and Skelley 2007: 519, TX-USA.
Xeropsamobeus scabriceps (LeConte 1878: 457) [Aphodius] , Canada, USA, Mexico.

Life History. All species appear to be psammophiles, probably detritivores. Only X. desertus has been collected at light. The other are sifted from sandy soil, or found walking on the surface of sand dunes.

Larvae. Unknown.

References:
Gordon, R. D., and P. E. Skelley. 2007. A monograph of the Aphodiini inhabiting the United States and Canada (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 79: 580 pp.