Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
Agathidium
| Agathidium | |
|---|---|
| |
| Agathidium mandibulare | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Staphyliniformia |
| Family: | Leiodidae |
| Tribe: | Agathidiini |
| Genus: | Agathidium Panzer, 1797[1] |
Agathidium is a genus of beetles in the family Leiodidae.
A. bushi, A. cheneyi and A. rumsfeldi are species of this genus named after George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, respectively, by two former Cornell entomologists, Kelly B. Miller (now at the University of New Mexico)[2] and Quentin D. Wheeler. According to Miller and Wheeler, the naming of the beetles (which were three of 65 species to be named) was done in homage to the political figures.[3] The same authors named A. vaderi after the fictional Darth Vader.
Some species can roll themselves up into an almost complete sphere, similar to pillbugs. Some males have horns on their left mandibles to dislodge rival males.[4]
- ^ Panzer, G. W. F. (1797). Faunae Insectorum Germanicae initia; oder Deutschlands Insecten. Felssecker, Nürnberg, 7(37), 1–24.
- ^ "Kelly B. Miller Lab: Arthropod Systematics & Evolution". kellymillerlab.com. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
- ^ "Slime-mold beetles named for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld -- but strictly in homage". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ Atlantic Canada Coleoptera: Agathidium Panzer 1797 and Gelae Miller and Wheeler 2004 (with pictures)
Previous Page Next Page
