identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
873C87B0C931FFC4FC5EFB3514420206.text	873C87B0C931FFC4FC5EFB3514420206.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus alatus (Macleay 1888)	<div><p>Omorgus alatus (Macleay, 1888)</p><p>AUSTRALIA: WESTERN AUSTRALIA, NORTHERN TERRITORY. There are records from various caves (Moulds, 2004; Scholtz, 1986b). Four of the seven  Omorgus alatus specimens available to Scholtz (1986b) originated from caves or rock shelters, leading him to speculate that this species may have adapted to life in sheltered situations, thus relieving the beetles from the necessity to burrow into soil for protection. Hamilton-Smith et al. (1989: 20) concluded that this “ extremely rare ” species seems to be “ more or less confined to cave environments,” while Moulds (2004) classified it as a troglophile and perhaps a guanophile.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C931FFC4FC5EFB3514420206	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C931FFC4FC56F98815790C06.text	873C87B0C931FFC4FC56F98815790C06.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus amictus (Haaf 1954)	<div><p>Omorgus amictus (Haaf, 1954)</p><p>AUSTRALIA: WESTERN AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA.  Omorgus amictus has only been recorded from the Nullarbor Plain in southern Australia (Scholtz, 1986b), from where are numerous records from various caves (Moulds, 2004; Richards, 1971; Scholtz, 1986b). It has been collected from both the entrance zone and the dark zone of mostly shallow caves, but the species has also been taken from the soil surface and from rabbit warrens (Richards, 1971). Richards (1971) found that  Omorgus amictus is in caves associated with bird guano, but not with bat guano. Outside caves, it has also been found on carcasses and skins. Since they can survive equally on the surface and in caves, it should be considered a troglophile (Moulds, 2004; Richards, 1971). Since its association with bird (not bat) guano is facultative, it is also categorised as a (bird-) guanophile (Moulds, 2004).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C931FFC4FC56F98815790C06	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C931FFC4FFEDF95513C50C1D.text	873C87B0C931FFC4FFEDF95513C50C1D.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Phoberus capensis (Scholtz 1979)	<div><p>Phoberus capensis (Scholtz, 1979) /  Phoberus nasutus (Harold, 1872)</p><p>This identification is ambiguous. Sharratt et al. (2000: 142) presented the identification in the format we maintain above, albeit that both species names were combined with the genus name  Trox Fabricius. Sebastian Endrödy-Younga, then of the TMSA, made the identification in 1998, but voucher specimens could not be traced in the TMSA beetle collection.  Phoberus capensis and  Phoberus nasutus are morphologically similar to each other, shown to be sister species by Strümpher et al. (2014b).</p><p>SOUTH AFRICA: WESTERN CAPE. Specimens were collected in the dark zone of the  Table Mountain caves on the Cape Peninsula. Microchiropteran bats were present throughout the dark zone of the cave where the beetles were collected (Sharratt et al., 2000). We interpret this as an incidental occurrence of the  Trogidae in a cave  .</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C931FFC4FFEDF95513C50C1D	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C931FFC4FC70FF1A1490067D.text	873C87B0C931FFC4FC70FF1A1490067D.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Phoberus pusillus (Peringuey 1908)	<div><p>Phoberus pusillus (Péringuey, 1908)</p><p>(Fig. 1B)</p><p>DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: HAUT-KATANGA. Scholtz (1980) reported an undisclosed number of  Phoberus pusillus specimens from the Kakontwe and Mwanga Caves in the vicinity of Likasi. These beetles were collected by Narcisse Leleup (1912–2001), unrivalled collector of soil insects, but also a collector of bats in search of their ectoparasites (Van Cakenberghe et al., 2017). No fewer than 18 bat species have been recorded from these two caves, represented by both insect-feeders and fruit-eaters (Van Cakenberghe et al., 2017). We interpret this as that  Phoberus pusillus is a troglophile, and probably a bat-guanophile.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C931FFC4FC70FF1A1490067D	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C931FFC4FE9BFE4510B90693.text	873C87B0C931FFC4FE9BFE4510B90693.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Trox aequalis Say 1832	<div><p>Trox aequalis Say, 1832</p><p>UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: GEORGIA. The species was reported to “ apparently live ” in bat guano in a cave (Reeves et al., 2000: 175). Slay et al. (2012) considered this to be an accidental collection since there is only this single record from a cave.  Trox aequalis, widespread through the Nearctic Region, is usually associated with nests of various mammals and birds (Vaurie, 1955) and not with caves or guano, supporting the contention of Slay et al. (2012).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C931FFC4FE9BFE4510B90693	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C931FFC4FEB2FD15138707EE.text	873C87B0C931FFC4FEB2FD15138707EE.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Trox laticollis LeConte 1854	<div><p>Trox laticollis LeConte, 1854</p><p>UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: IOWA, ARKANSAS. This scarce American species is almost exclusively found in fox burrows (Robinson, 1941; Vaurie, 1955). Peck &amp; Christiansen (1990) presented a single record from a cave, themselves denoting it as an accidental collection, something with which Slay et al. (2012) agreed. Robinson (1941) reported four individuals of  Trox laticollis which were feeding on a dead fox in a cave; we suspect that the common denominator is the fox, and not the cave.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C931FFC4FEB2FD15138707EE	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C931FFC4FEB5FC2010D901B6.text	873C87B0C931FFC4FEB5FC2010D901B6.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Trox scaber (Linnaeus 1767)	<div><p>Trox scaber (Linnaeus, 1767)</p><p>(Fig. 1A)</p><p>SPAIN; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: MISSOURI. This widepread Palaearctic species has spread to the New World and to Australasia (Pittino &amp; Bezděk, 2016); it has been denoted as subcosmopolitan, among others by Zidek (2013). Besides feeding on animal carcasses, this species is often found in various bird and mammal nests and burrows (e.g. Vaurie, 1955; Hicks, 1959).  Trox scaber has been recorded from caves in both Western Europe and North America (Gardner, 1986; Tinaut et al., 2008; Pérez et al., 2011). We call into question the categorisation by Slay et al. (2012) of this species being only accidentally in caves; these authors overlooked the reports from Europe.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C931FFC4FEB5FC2010D901B6	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C930FFC5FF48FF1813FD050B.text	873C87B0C930FFC5FF48FF1813FD050B.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus brucki (Harold 1872)	<div><p>Omorgus brucki (Harold, 1872)</p><p>AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND, NEW SOUTH WALES. Scholtz (1986b: 35) reported that this species “ is frequently taken in caves. ” It may hence indeed be a troglophile; no other relevant information exists .</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C930FFC5FF48FF1813FD050B	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C930FFC5FF5CFEBD13B606D3.text	873C87B0C930FFC5FF5CFEBD13B606D3.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus carinatus (Loomis 1922)	<div><p>Omorgus carinatus (Loomis, 1922)</p><p>UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: NEW MEXICO. Vaurie (1955) reported a specimen of  Omorgus carinatus from ‘Carlsbad Cavern,’ but from only the reported label data it is impossible to tell whether that specimen was collected inside the cave system itself, or from the wider Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Cokendolpher &amp; Polyak (1996: 190) reported a single individual from the “ twilight/dark junction ” of a cave.  Omorgus carinatus appears to be associated with nests or middens of woodrats ( Neotoma Say &amp; Ord,  Cricetidae) (Loomis, 1922; Slay et al., 2012), while woodrats are commonly found in caves (e.g. Tweet et al., 2012). The foregoing facts lead Slay et al. (2012) to categorise the presence of this beetle species in a cave to be accidental.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C930FFC5FF5CFEBD13B606D3	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C930FFC5FF62FCD510DF00D3.text	873C87B0C930FFC5FF62FCD510DF00D3.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus costatus (Wiedemann 1823)	<div><p>Omorgus costatus (Wiedemann, 1823)</p><p>(Fig. 1C)</p><p>AUSTRALIA; INDONESIA; MALAYSIA. This species is widespread through the Oriental and Australasian Regions (Scholtz, 1986b; Strümpher &amp; Kalawate, 2023). It is often encountered in caves, where it has repeatedly been recorded feeding on, burrowing into, and breeding in bat guano (Blair, 1929; Chapman, 1983; Leefmans, 1932; McClure et al., 1967; Moulds, 2004; Scholtz, 1986b). McClure et al.(1967) reportedthat adults,larvae and pupae of the species lived inside the guano of a Malaysian cave and was rarely seen on the surface. Arrow (1927) additionally reported that  Omorgus costatus was collected from bat guano in hollow trees in Malaysia. Moulds (2004) categorised this trogid species as a troglophile and possibly a guanophile; we confirm here that the species is indeed bat-guanophilic, since narrow associations with bat guano have been observed repeatedly.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C930FFC5FF62FCD510DF00D3	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C930FFC5FF68FAD510230195.text	873C87B0C930FFC5FF68FAD510230195.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus fuliginosus (Robinson 1941)	<div><p>Omorgus fuliginosus (Robinson, 1941)</p><p>MEXICO: MORELOS. Muñiz Vélez (2001) reported fragments of one specimen of  Omorgus fuliginosus from an archaeological site inside a cave. We consider this to be an incidental occurrence  .</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C930FFC5FF68FAD510230195	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C930FFC5FEBCFA1A10C402E5.text	873C87B0C930FFC5FEBCFA1A10C402E5.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus mollis (Arrow 1927)	<div><p>Omorgus mollis (Arrow, 1927)</p><p>MALAYSIA; INDONESIA. All specimens of  Omorgus mollis available or known to Scholtz (1986b) were collected in bat guano in hollow trees. If this observational pattern persists,  Omorgus mollis may uniquely be a non-cavernicolous bat-guanobiont. Presently this seems to be an unlikely life history style—more field observations and collecting of this rare species are required, as well as an open mind that Nature contains secrets which are unlikely but—in fact—true.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C930FFC5FEBCFA1A10C402E5	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C930FFC5FF56F92A135503BB.text	873C87B0C930FFC5FF56F92A135503BB.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus punctatus (Germar 1823)	<div><p>Omorgus punctatus (Germar, 1823)</p><p>UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: CALIFORNIA. A single specimen was trapped near an entrance to a cave (Aalbu, 1990). Aalbu (1990: 9) considered this an “ accidental cavernicolous ” beetle. Slay et al. (2012) overlooked this report.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C930FFC5FF56F92A135503BB	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C930FFC5FF61F86D13CB0C1B.text	873C87B0C930FFC5FF61F86D13CB0C1B.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus rubricans (Robinson 1946)	<div><p>Omorgus rubricans (Robinson, 1946)</p><p>MEXICO: MORELOS. Muñiz Vélez (2001) reported fragments of one specimen of  Omorgus rubricans from an archaeological site inside a cave. We consider this to be an incidental occurrence  .</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C930FFC5FF61F86D13CB0C1B	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C930FFC5FC78FF18142E06B6.text	873C87B0C930FFC5FC78FF18142E06B6.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus suberosus (Fabricius 1775)	<div><p>Omorgus suberosus (Fabricius, 1775)</p><p>UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: TEXAS; BRAZIL: TOCANTINS.  Omorgus suberosus is an abundant, generalist species, ubiquitous throughout the New World (Vaurie, 1962), and adventive and widespread in Australasia, Oceania and the Oriental Region (Cartwright &amp; Gordon, 1971; Miquel, 2019; Scholtz, 1986b). Specimens were collected in two Texan caves, in one of the caves on bat guano (Kohls and Jellison, 1948). Slay et al. (2012: 196) considered these to be “ accidental collections. ” Muñiz Vélez (2001) reported fragments of several  Omorgus suberosus individuals from an archaeological site inside a Mexican cave, while Costa-Silva et al. (2021) reported a specimen, bearing a label with the locality ‘Casa de Pedra Cave,’ in central Brazil, but without ecobiological remarks. We consider these also to be incidental occurrences.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C930FFC5FC78FF18142E06B6	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C93FFFCAFC57F9D2151302D3.text	873C87B0C93FFFCAFC57F9D2151302D3.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus batesi (Harold 1872)	<div><p>Omorgus batesi (Harold, 1872)</p><p>(Fig. 1E)</p><p>BRAZIL: PARÁ. A number of specimens were collected from bat guano in a cave (Correa et al., 2022). In the opinion of Correa et al. (2022), this species may truly be associated with caves. We agree and consider  Omorgus batesi as a troglophile and bat-guanophile.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C93FFFCAFC57F9D2151302D3	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C93FFFCAFF71FECA104B0C1B.text	873C87B0C93FFFCAFF71FECA104B0C1B.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz 1975)	<div><p>Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz, 1975)</p><p>(Fig. 1D)</p><p>=  Trox (Omorgus) glaber Scholtz, 1980, junior objective synonym (Pittino, 2005).</p><p>We discovered seven previously undetected specimens of  Omorgus lindemannae in the TMSA and the SANC, five of which were collected in two distantly separated caves during four separate collecting events. Four specimens were collected in the Lanner Gorge Cave, South Africa, and one specimen in the Gcwihaba Cave, Botswana. The Lanner Gorge Cave and its fauna were characterised by Braack (1989) and is discussed under  Omorgus zumpti below. The Gcwihaba Cave is home to at least three species of insectivorous bats with a total population of ca. 30,000 –90,000 individuals (Dandurand et al., 2019; Seamark &amp; Pretorius, 2018). The bats are responsible for a thick deposit of guano (Dandurand et al., 2019). Mazebedi &amp; Hesselberg (2020) presented the results of a survey of the Gcwihaba Cave’s terrestrial macroinvertebrates, but they did not report any  Trogidae .</p><p>Omorgus lindemannae clearly is a troglophile. Its relation to guano has not yet been reported, but we cautiously suggest that it may be a bat-guanophile, based on the enormous deposits of bat guano in both these caves. Pittino (2005: 75) denoted  Omorgus lindemannae to be a “ very rare species. ”</p><p>These are new records of a trogid species in a cave and possibly associated with bat guano.</p><p>The collecting and other label data of the  Omorgus lindemannae museum specimens discovered by us are presented below. The first four entries represent the five cave specimens. The entries as a whole define a further range extension of this trogid (e.g. Frey, 2009). Ever since its two descriptions (Petrovitz, 1975; Scholtz, 1980, as synonym), this species had been known only from two localities in south-central Tanzania (Lindi and Rukwa Regions), one specimen from each locality. Pittino (2005) reported the next known specimen, from the Limpopo province of South Africa, which represented a huge range extension. Our newly detected specimens further extend the known distribution of  Omorgus lindemannae to Botswana and to the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.</p><p>BOTSWANA</p><p>North West District</p><p>– 1 ♀ Gcwihaba Cave [as “Drotsky's Cave”], -20.024°, 21.354°, 1969-10-03, W Haacke &amp;O Prozesky||  Trox zumpti Haaf, det. CH Scholtz, 1980 (TMSA). — Misidentified as  Omorgus zumpti by Scholtz (1980: 36).</p><p>New country record.</p><p>SOUTH AFRICA</p><p>Limpopo</p><p>– 1 ♂ Kruger National Park, Luvuvhu River, Lanner Gorge Cave [as “Cave N2, Pafuri”], ca. -22.450°, 31.150°, 1983-08-29, L Braack (TMSA).</p><p>– 1 ♂ Kruger National Park, Luvuvhu River, Lanner Gorge Cave [as “Lanner Gorge, Cave N2”], ca. -22.450°, 31.150°, 1983-09-26, L Braack (SANC).</p><p>– 2 ♀ Kruger National Park, Luvuvhu River, Lanner Gorge Cave [as “Pafuri cave”], ca. -22.450°, 31.150°, 1993-12, CH Scholtz (TMSA).</p><p>Mpumalanga</p><p>– 1 ♀ Kruger National Park, Skukuza, -25.00°, 31.59°, 1995-02-25, UV light trap, S Endrödy-Younga (TMSA).</p><p>New provincial record.</p><p>KwaZulu-Natal</p><p>– 1 ♀ Ndumo Game Reserve, ca. -26.87°, 32.25° [centroid], 1960-12, G van Son ||  Trox zumpti Haaf, det. CH Scholtz, 1980 (TMSA). — Misidentified as  Omorgus zumpti by Scholtz (1980: 36).</p><p>New provincial record.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C93FFFCAFF71FECA104B0C1B	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C93FFFCAFC50FF18151801AE.text	873C87B0C93FFFCAFC50FF18151801AE.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Omorgus zumpti (Haaf 1957)	<div><p>Omorgus zumpti (Haaf, 1957)</p><p>We have reason to be cautious that the  Trogidae in Lanner Gorge Cave (see below) had correctly been identified as  Omorgus zumpti, as reported by Braack (1989). We could not track down any trogid voucher specimens from Braack’s study. Rather, in both the TMSA and the SANC we found four Lanner Gorge Cave specimens— resultant from three separate collection events—which are  Omorgus lindemannae; their collecting details are presented above. We hence propose that Braack’s (1989) beetles may rather have been  Omorgus lindemannae, or that both  Omorgus zumpti and  Omorgus lindemannae co-occur in Lanner Gorge Cave. We did not trace any specimens truly being  Omorgus zumpti from Lanner Gorge Cave, but that species is present on the Nyandu Sandveld, only some 30 km from the cave (Scholtz, 1980).</p><p>Omorgus zumpti and  Omorgus lindemannae are similar species (Scholtz, 1980). The  Trogidae from Lanner Gorge Cave were in the period between August 1983 and March 1988 identified by trogid specialist Clarke H. Scholtz. At that stage,  Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz, 1975) was known—under the synonymic name  Trox (Omorgus) glaber Scholtz, 1980 —from only Tanzania. The first record of  Omorgus lindemannae outside Tanzania, and inside South Africa, was presented by Pittino (2005).</p><p>SOUTH AFRICA: LIMPOPO. Braack (1989) surveyed Lanner Gorge Cave, a remote cave in the far north of the Kruger National Park, and described its macro-arthropod fauna. He estimated that more than 2,400 adult individuals of  Omorgus zumpti were simultaneously present on the cave floor, mostly in the twilight zone. This beetle species is widespread in southern Africa, but rarely collected (Scholtz, 1980). Lanner Gorge Cave is inhabited by a large, permanent colony of fruit bats, the entire cave floor being covered with bat guano, in its proximal half more than a metre deep (Braack, 1989). Despite the abundance of bat guano, Braack (1989) did not report any interaction between the  Trogidae and the guano, but rather reported that adult beetles were on several occasions observed feeding on dead bats. He reported this circumstance both in his text and in a schematic representation of trophic interactions in the cave (his Figure 2). We consider it unlikely that the  Trogidae would not feed on the abundance of bat excrement, hence we suggest that  Omorgus zumpti perhaps indeed is bat-guanophilic, while clearly being a troglophile.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C93FFFCAFC50FF18151801AE	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C93FFFC8FC07F8ED11D304C9.text	873C87B0C93FFFC8FC07F8ED11D304C9.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Polynoncus gemmingeri (Harold 1872)	<div><p>Polynoncus gemmingeri (Harold, 1872)</p><p>(Fig. 1F)</p><p>BRAZIL: MINAS GERAIS. Several specimens were sampled from bat guano in caves (Correa et al., 2022). Correa et al. (2022) found this species to have been the most abundant scarab species in their survey of Scarabaeoidea in Brazilian caves. They argued that this species may also be truly associated with caves, and suggested that the species may be classified as a troglophile. Necessarily it also seems to be bat-guanophilic.</p><p>the species was captured inside the cave or in the vicinity of the cave.</p><p>False record of a trogid species being associated with bat guano</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C93FFFC8FC07F8ED11D304C9	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
873C87B0C93DFFC8FEBBFEFD11D30035.text	873C87B0C93DFFC8FEBBFEFD11D30035.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Trox perrisii Fairmaire 1868	<div><p>Trox perrisii Fairmaire, 1868</p><p>AUSTRIA; FRANCE. Numerous instances of specimens from woodpecker nests secondarily occupied by starlings or “ bats ” [sic!] were reported by Petrovitz (1969: 104). From Petrovitz’s short report it cannot confidently be concluded that the associated vertebrates were bats indeed: it may have been only birds, or both birds and bats. Byk et al. (2019) comprehensively reviewed the ecology of  Trox perrisii without adding any information about this species being associated with either bats or caves, besides misinterpreting Petrovitz’s (1969) report therein that they categorically stated that Petrovitz’s woodpecker hollows were secondarily occupied by bats, not birds. We disagree that such a bat association can be confirmed from existing literature. Byk et al. (2019) confirmed that this beetle species inhabits the nests of several bird species, as well as hollows in trees, with or without bird inhabitants.  Trox nidicola Bonnaire, 1881 is a junior synonym of  Trox perrisii: the description of this nominal species was based on a small number of specimens found among debris in a bird nest in a tree hollow (Bonnaire, 1881). There is—in our view—no unambiguous evidence that  Trox perrisii is associated either with caves or with bat guano. We suggest that  Trox perrisii be deleted from the corpus of bat-guano-associated  Trogidae . The species does seem to be bird-guano-associated. It is not a troglophile.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/873C87B0C93DFFC8FEBBFEFD11D30035	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Strümpher, Werner P.;Stals, Riaan	Strümpher, Werner P., Stals, Riaan (2025): A world list of known cave- and bat guano-associated Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), and further range extension of Omorgus lindemannae (Petrovitz). Faunitaxys 13 (9): 1-11, DOI: 10.57800/faunitaxys-13(09), URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00930-2
