Melolonthinae is a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of the scarab

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s (

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Scarabaeidae). It is a very diverse group; distributed over most of the world, it contains over 11,000

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in over 750 genera. Some authors include the scarab subfamilies

Euchirinae Euchirinae is a subfamily of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. They are sometimes referred to as "long-armed scarabs" due to the elongated forelegs of the males. These long legs often have median and apical spines ...

and Pachypodinae as

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

s in the Melolonthinae. Unlike some of their relatives, their habitus is usually not bizarre. They resemble the

Rutelinae Rutelinae or shining leaf chafers is a subfamily of the scarab beetles (family Scarabaeidae). It is a very diverse group; distributed over most of the world, it contains some 200 genera with over 4,000 described species in 7 tribes. A few recent ...

in being fairly

plesiomorphic In phylogenetics, a plesiomorphy ("near form") and symplesiomorphy are synonyms for an ancestral character shared by all members of a clade, which does not distinguish the clade from other clades. Plesiomorphy, symplesiomorphy, apomorphy, and ...

in outward appearance. Like in many Scarabaeidae, males have large fingered

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

e, while those of the females are smaller and somewhat knobby. In the Melolonthinae, this

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

is particularly pronounced. Many species have striking – though rarely brilliant or

iridescent Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...

– hues and bold patterns of hairs. Being often quite sizeable and swarming in numbers at certain times, for example the ''

Amphimallon ''Amphimallon'' is a genus of beetles of the family Scarabaeidae The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this ...

'', ''

Phyllophaga ''Phyllophaga'' is a very large genus (more than 900 species) of New World scarab beetles in the subfamily Melolonthinae. Common names for this genus and many other related genera in the subfamily Melolonthinae are May beetles, June bugs, and Jul ...

'' and ''

Polyphylla ''Polyphylla'' is a genus of scarab beetle includes more than 80 species distributed in North and Central America, southern and central Europe, northern Africa, and southern Asia—from Asia Minor to Japan. They typically reside in forests and ...

'' "

june beetle June beetle is the common name for several scarab beetles that appear around June in temperate parts of North America: In subfamily Cetoniinae: *''Cotinis nitida'' (Green June beetle) of the southeastern United States *''Cotinis mutabilis'' (Fig ...

s" or the ''

Melolontha ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a genus ...

cockchafer The cockchafer, colloquially called Maybug, Maybeetle, or doodlebug, is the name given to any of the European beetles of the genus ''Melolontha'', in the family Scarabaeidae. Once abundant throughout Europe and a major pest in the periodical ye ...

s – all from tribe Melolonthini – feature widely in folklore. Some Melolonthinae are economically significant pests. Other than the Melolonthini, the most diverse tribes are the Ablaberini, Liparetrini, Macrodactylini, Tanyproctini and Sericini.

Systematics

According to various authors, the living Melolonthinae are divided into about 20-30

s. Some notable

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

and

are also listed here: * Ablaberini Burmeister, 1855 – including Camentini * Automoliini Britton, 1978 * Chasmatopterini Lacordaire, 1856 * Colymbomorphini Blanchard, 1850 – including Stethaspini and Xylonychini * Comophorinini Britton, 1957 – including Comophini * Dichelonychini Burmeister 1855 * Diphucephalini Britton, 1957 * Diphycerini Medvedev, 1952 – sometimes in Macrodactylini * Diplotaxini Kirby, 1837 – sometimes in Melolonthini * Heteronychini Britton, 1957 **'' Heteronyx'' Guérin-Méneville, 1838 * Hopliini Latreille, 1829 * Lichniini Burmeister, 1844 * Liparetrini Burmeister, 1855 – including Allarini, Colpochilini * Macrodactylini Kirby, 1837 – including Dichelonyciini * Maechidiini Burmeister, 1855 * Melolonthini Leach, 1819 – including Rhizotrogini **''

'' **''

Brahmina ''Brahmina'' is a large Holarctic genus of scarab beetles The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family ...

'' **'' Holotrichia'' **'' Leucopholis'' **''

'' – cockchafers, May bugs **''

'' – May beetles **''

'' **'' Rhizotrogus'' * Oncerini LeConte, 1861 * Pachytrichini Burmeister, 1855 * Phyllotocidiini Britton, 1957 * Podolasiini Howden, 1997 – sometimes in Hopliini * Scitalini Britton, 1957 * Sericini Dalla Torre, 1912 **'' Maladera'' * Sericoidini Burmeister, 1855 * Systellopini Sharp, 1877 * Tanyproctini Erichson, 1847 – includes Pachydemini In addition, a

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

tribe, the Cretomelolonthini, is only known from

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s. Several genera are of unclear relations; they are not yet firmly placed in a tribe: *''

Acoma Acoma may refer to: * ''Acoma'' (beetle), a scarab beetle genus of subfamily Melolonthinae * Acoma Pueblo, a Native American pueblo * Acoma, Nevada, a ghost town * Acoma Township, McLeod County, Minnesota, US * , more than one ship of the US Navy ...

'' *'' Conebius'' Fuavel, 1903 *'' Costelytra'' – Liparetrini? *'' Hemictenius'' – Pachydemini? *'' Metascelis'' Westwood, 1842 *'' Mycernus'' – Colymbomorphini? *'' Odontria'' – Liparetrini? *'' Prodontria'' – Liparetrini? *'' Psilodontria'' – Colymbomorphini? *'' Scythrodes'' – Liparetrini? *'' Sericospilus'' – Liparetrini? *'' Xenaclopus''Ocampo, F.C., Vaz-de-Mello, F.Z. (2008) The genus ''Xenaclopus'' Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): redescription and removal from the Aclopinae, with systematic notes. Zootaxa, 1916: 57–62. "'' Anonetus''" and "'' Tryssus''", both used by Erichson in 1847, are ''

nomina nuda In taxonomy, a ''nomen nudum'' ('naked name'; plural ''nomina nuda'') is a designation which looks exactly like a scientific name of an organism, and may have originally been intended to be one, but it has not been published with an adequate descr ...

''. '' Holophylla'' and '' Hoplorida'' are of uncertain validity.

References

*http://insects.tamu.edu/research/collection/hallan/test/Arthropoda/Insects/Coleoptera/Family/Scarabaeidae.txt {{Taxonbar, from=Q785080, from2=Q14852127 Beetle subfamilies Articles containing video clips