Agathidium

Agathidium
Agathidium mandibulare
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Leiodidae
Subfamily: Leiodinae
Genus: Agathidium
Panzer, 1797
Diversity
over 100 species
Agathidium varians

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 University of New Mexico[1]) 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.[2] 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.[3]

Selected species

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Agathidium
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