Apogonia ferruginea explained

Apogonia ferruginea, is a species of dung beetle found in India and Sri Lanka.^{[1] [2]}

Description

Length of the adult is about 5 to 9 mm. Body shiny ferruginous with a faint tint on forehead and thorax. Clypeus coarsely and closely punctured. Forehead with moderately strong punctures. Thorax obliquely narrowed in front with broadest at the middle. Elytra with strong punctures. Pygidium small but with similar puncturation as in thorax.^[3] Underside of the abdomen is pubescent.

In Rajasthan, the species is known to damage the leaves of pomegranate during June to July. Adults are active at night and easily attracted to light in large numbers.^[4] Adults are minor pests that feed on flowers, and leaves of rose,^[5] Acalypha, tamarind, cinnamon, avocado, Ixora and guava.^[6] Adults have been observed to emerge during the mid April to the mid August.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Chandra. Kailash. Gupta. Devanshu . Study of Scarabaeid Beetles (Coleoptera) of Veerangana Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary, Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, India . DCSI. 05. 272–278. 2011.
2. Asif. Parvez. Meera. Srivastava. A short-term surveillance of coleopteran fauna in an agro-ecosystem near Bikaner (Western Rajasthan), India . Biological Forum . 2. 1. 23–29. 2010. 10.1.1.672.3422.
3. Waterhouse . Charles O. . 1894-06-01 . LIX.—Description of Apogonia ferruginea, Fabr., from the type in the Banksian collection of coleoptera . 2021-07-11 . Annals and Magazine of Natural History . 13. 78. 513 . 10.1080/00222939408677744.
4. Web site: Occurrence of Apogonia ferruginea Fb. (Melolonthidae: Coleoptera) in Rajasthan . 2021-07-10 . Labdev Journal of Science and Technology 1970 No.2 pp.108 ref.1.
5. Studies on faunal composition of Scarabaeids on Rose around Bangalore . 2021-07-10 . Agricultural Science Digest. 26. 4. 257–260. 2006.
6. Book: Das . Mrinmoy . Bhattacharyya . Badal . Pujari . D. . Handique . Gautam . Arthropod Diversity and Conservation in the Tropics and Sub-tropics . 2016 . Chakravarthy . Akshay Kumar . Sridhara . Shakunthala . Faunal Composition of Scarab Beetles and Their Hosts in Assam . http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-10-1518-2_21 . 2021-07-11 . Springer Singapore . 335–344 . en . 10.1007/978-981-10-1518-2_21. 978-981-10-1517-5 .
7. Web site: Population dynamics of white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in the rose environment of Northern Bangalore, India . 2021-07-10 . Indian Journal of Science and Technology: Vol.2 No 1 (Jan. 2009).