Phileurus Latreille, 1807

Ratcliffe, Brett C. & Cave, Ronald D., 2010, The Dynastinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of the Cayman Islands (West Indies), with descriptions of Tomarus adoceteus, new species (Pentodontini) and Caymania nitidissima, new genus and species (Phileurini), Insecta Mundi 2010 (139), pp. 1-15 : 12

Phileurus Latreille, 1807

The genus Phileurus has 19 species ( Endrödi

1985; Ratcliffe 1988) distributed from southeast-

ern United States south to southern South America. Figure 20-22. Caymania nitidissima Ratcliffe and Cave, One species, Phileurus valgus (Olivier) , extends it new species. 20) Habitus. 21-22) Parameres.

range to the West Indies.

Species in the genus Phileurus are characterized by a sharply acuminate clypeus; outer side of the mandibles lacking teeth; pronotum with a longitudinal furrow, subapical tubercle, and fovea or declivous area; and the apical margin of the metatibia with the dorsal angle spiniformly produced into a large tooth but otherwise lacking teeth (except for P. valgus which has a second tooth). Most of the species are moderately large beetles, with only P. valgus dropping below 20 mm in length.

The life history for Phileurus species is largely unknown. Both adults and larvae have been collected from rotting logs and stumps where they probably feed on decaying wood and/or the fungi associated with it. Species of Phileurus are most typically encountered in lowland forests, but they have also been recorded from forests at 1,800 m elevation. The larval stage has been described for only two species in the genus, P. didymus (L.) and P. valgus (under the name P. castaneus [Haldeman]) ( Ritcher 1966). Adults are attracted to lights at night. Phileurus was reviewed by Endrödi (1985).