Key Laboratory of Economic and Applied Entomology of Liaoning Province, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
Microsc Res Tech. 2019 Aug;82(8):1372-1379. doi: 10.1002/jemt.23289. Epub 2019 May 10.
Aphodiinae are a large cosmopolitan subfamily of Scarab beetles (Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeidae), playing an important role during dung decomposition. Many aspects, especially immature stages, of these dung beetles have not yet been recorded due to their comparative small body sizes and lacking of striking rolling behavior. In this study, the third instar larva of Colobopterus quadratus is morphologically described using scanning electron microscopy. The larva is atypical for the combination of following morphological features: (a) the larval antennae are five-segmented; (b) the clypeus bears 4 minute protuberances on dorsal surface; (c) the epitorma on epipharynx is ventrally protuberant; (d) the scissorial area of left mandible is broad and blade-like; (e) the raster is furnished with six glabrous protuberances and two rows of pali arranged in V-shape. Some significant ultra-morphological features were discovered in larval Aphodiinae for the first time. The presence of blade-like incisor on the left mandible implies the potential root cutting ability.
粪金龟亚科是金龟子科（鞘翅目：金龟科）中一个广泛分布的大的亚科，在粪便分解过程中起着重要作用。由于这些蜣螂体型较小，且没有明显的滚动行为，因此其许多方面，尤其是幼虫期，尚未被记录下来。在这项研究中，使用扫描电子显微镜对 Colobopterus quadratus 的三龄幼虫进行了形态描述。该幼虫具有以下几种形态特征的组合，这种特征在粪金龟亚科中并不典型：（a）幼虫触角五节；（b）额隆的背面有 4 个微小的突起；（c）上唇的外叶腹面有突起；（d）左颚的剪切区宽阔，呈刀片状；（e）筛板上有 6 个无毛的突起和两排呈 V 形排列的小刺。在幼虫粪金龟亚科中首次发现了一些重要的超形态特征。左颚上的刀片状切牙的存在表明其具有潜在的根切能力。
