Ataenius strigatus (Say 1823)

Ataenius strigatus (Say)

Aphodius strigatus Say, 1823:212.—Haldeman, 1848:106.

Ataenius strigatus.—Harold, in Gemminger and Harold, 1869: 1067.—Horn, 1887:82.—Schmidt, 1922:428.—Fall, 1930:101.—Cartwright, 1948:151.

DESCRIPTION.—Length 3.6 to 5.5 mm; width 1.6 to 2.4 mm. Elongate-oblong, shining, black, legs and margin of clypeus reddish black, moderately convex. Head convex, finely reflexed margin of clypeus broadly rounded each side of wide, shallow median emargination, sides nearly straight to sharply rounded, right-angled genae; anterior three-fourths of clypeal surface finely transversely wrinkled, very finely punctate above, the punctures separated generally by about twice their diameters; front with transverse band of moderate punctures separated by their diameters, a little less numerous on occiput. Pronotum about three-fourths as long as wide, sides nearly straight and parallel, anterior angles obtusely rounded, posterior angles widely rounded, sides and base strongly margined, edge fimbriate-crenate at anterior and posterior angles, the short, inconspicuous setae separated by more than their lengths, crenations noticeable only at posterior angles, middle of sides without setae, base arcuate; surface with mixed very fine and coarse punctures, the fine punctures everywhere evenly distributed, the coarse punctures finer over middle anterior disc, larger and denser outward to sides and base where they may be practically contiguous, generally separated by their diameters more or less on disc. Elytra approximately five-eighths as wide as long, humeri strongly dentate, striae fine, deep, the strial punctures crenating the sides of the weakly convex intervals, more strongly on inner sides, lateral intervals not different, surface with very fine, scattered punctures. Mesosternum shagreened, finely, closely sculptured, with very fine, short, appressed inconspicuous hair, carinate between the coxae. Metasternum shining, midline strong and deep, disc and outward to sides with scattered, very fine punctures separated by four or more diameters, fine rough sculpture at extreme sides, metasternal triangle strong with rounded edges, minutely roughened within. First visible abdominal sternum with fine posterior marginal line, next four sterna with successively longer, fine fluting along anterior margins, fluting of 5th sternum only slightly longer than preceding and not much longer at middle, nearly even from side to side; surface of middle sternum moderately finely, closely punctate at middle, gradually coarse and shallow outward to sides where the punctures are separated by less than their diameters, 5th sternum with slightly larger, fine punctures at sides and with a large elongate puncture or pore at extreme side. Pygidium with shining, convex, apical lip, disc finely, roughly eroded. Anterior femora with strong perimarginal groove, surface smooth, shining anteriorly, posteriorly closely, roughly, moderately punctate, the punctures tending to form short, irregular, transverse lines. Middle and hind femora shining, smooth, with scattered, very fine punctures separated by three or four times their diameters, strong posterior marginal line over slightly more than half of the femur to knee. Coarse setigerous punctures usually lacking at knee, rarely a single puncture. Apical fringe of posterior tibia a group of five setae, a strong accessory spine, and an intervening setae between spine and spurs. Metatarsal segment longer than long spur and longer than following three segments combined. Males have a group of moderate, setigerous punctures at middle each side of midline of the metasternum, the pygidium is longer, with the median part of the apical lip much wider than in the female.

NEOTYPE (present designation).—Male, USNM No. 71751.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Pennsylvania, 5 mi NW of Davidsburg; 9 September 1968, Paul J. Spangler.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—1500+.

DATES COLLECTED.—February 9 to December 28.

DISTRIBUTION (Figure 8).—Alabama: Florence, Grant, Marshall County, Monte Sano State Park, near River Cave, Selma. Arizona: Pajarita Mts., Pena Blanca, Santa Cruz County. Arkansas: Devils Den State Park, Fayetteville, Hartford, Hope, Tuckerman (Jackson County), Washington County, West Memphis. Connecticut: Cornwall, Suffield. Delaware: Delaware City, Dover, Glasgow, Middletown, Newark, New Castle County, Ship John Light House, Smyrna, Sussex County, Wilmington. District of Columbia: Washington. Florida: Daytona Beach, Wewahitchka. Georgia: Augusta, Griffin. Illinois: Blue Mound, Bridgeview, Caledonia, Carbondale, Carterville, Champaign, Chicago, Crab Orchard, Crete, Des Plaines, Dongola, Du Page County, Evanston, Farina, Glenview, Grayslake, Havana, Illinois Beach State Park, Kickapoo State Park, Lake Michigan Beach, Lorenzo Rd. Prairie (Grundy County), McBride, New Lennox, Peacock Prairie, Quincy, Roseville, Union County, Urbana, Vandalia, Wailanda. Indiana: Athens, Bear Willow, Beverly Shores, Bog, Clayton, Dune Acres, Dunes Park Beach, Fort Wayne, Grantsburg, Hamlet, Hovey Lake, Indianapolis, Knox County, Lafayette, Marion County, Menominee, Miller, Owen County, Perry County, Porter County, Putman County, Richmond, Starke County, Tippecanoe County, Tremount, Turkey Run State Park, Vigo County, Vincennes, Wabash County, Whiting. Iowa: Ames, Bedford, Boone, Burlington, Cherokee, Davenport, Davis County, Des Moines, Eddyville, Estherville, Floris, Gilbert, Grand Junction, Guttenberg, Henry County, Independence, Iowa City, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Keokuk, Lake Okaboji, Ledges State Park, Leon, Lyon County, Marshall County, Mount Pleasant, Osage, Polk City, Scott County, Shenandoah, Shimek, Solon, Store State Park. Kansas: Argentine, Coffee County, Douglas County, Lawrence, T. Gardner Lake (Johnson County), Topeka. Kentucky: Anchorage (Jefferson County), Bee Spring, Benton, Cadiz, Corbin, Fort Knox, Hodgenville, Jackson, Lexington, Louisville, Mammoth Cave National Park, Wolf Creek Lake (Wayne County). Maine: Anson, Monmouth, Orono. Maryland: Baltimore, Beltsville, Cabin John, Chesapeake Beach, Chevy Chase, Colesville, College Park, Contee, Deer Park, East Riverdale, Edgewood, Gambrelles, Glen Echo, Glover, Hancock, Hebbville, Hyattsville, Jackson’s Island, Kenwood Beach, Largo, Marlboro, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Plummers Island, Plum Point, Reisterstown, Salisbury, Shelltown, Tacoma Park, Thurmont, Timonium, Upper Marlboro. Massachusetts: Billerica, Brookline, Groton, Montgomery. Michigan: Agricultural College, Allegan County, Bay County, Berrien County, Bridgeman Warren Dunes, Clinton County, East Lansing, Galen, Genessee County, Haitland (Lexington County), Ingham County, Isabella County, Kalamazoo County, Lakeside, Marquette, Mason County, Midland County, Port Huron, Saginaw, Saugatuck, Selfridge Field, Van Buren County, Washtenaw County, Whitmore Lake. Minnesota: Buffalo, Faribault, Whitewater State Park (Winona County). Missouri: Clarksville, Columbia, Devils Elbow, Jefferson City, Louisiana, Midway, Pawnee, Poplar Bluff, St. Joseph, St. Louis, Steelville, Stoddard County, Vernon County, Warrenton, Willard. Nebraska: Bennet, Fairmont, Lancaster County, Lincoln, Malcolm, West Point. New Hampshire: Rumney. New Jersey: Arny Mtn., Avenel, Boonton, Browns Mills, Five Mile Beach, Hadden Heights, Hillside Manor, Medford, Morristown, Montvale, New Brunswick, New Lisbon, Prospertown, Riverton, Salem, Upper Plains, Woodbury. New York: Chafee, Dryden, Ithaca, Olcott, Oswego, Potsdam, Rochester, Rockaway Beach, Utica, West Point, Wyers Point. North Carolina: Balsam, Black Mtns. Cataloochee Divide, Cedar Mtn., Charlotte, Raleigh, Sunburst, Waynesville. Ohio: Ada, Adams County, Ashland, Athens County, Champaign County, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, East Harbor State Park, Erie County, Franklin County, Greenville, Heidelberg, Holgate, Hudson, Marietta, Miami County, Ottawa County, Portsmouth, Preble County, West Alexandria, Wooster. Oklahoma: Willis, Woodward. Oregon: “ Or.” Pennsylvania: Arcola, Bellefonte, Broomall, Buena Vista Springs (Franklin County), Canadensis, Chester, Clarks Valley, Davidsburg (5 mi W), Delaware Water Gap, Easton, Erie, Forest County, Germantown, Harrisburg, Hecton Mills, Howard, Hummelstown, Jeanette, Jefferson County, Lake Merion, Lima, Long Pond, Maryville, Media, Nanticoke, New Alexandria, New Cumberland, Nottingham, Olney, Parkasie, Pen Mar, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pocono Mts., Secane, Sharpsville, State College, Stony Creek Mills, Sumneytown, West Fairview, Wilmerding, York, Youngstown, Upper Darby. South Dakota: Brookings, Chamberlin, Elk Point, Fort Thomson, Highmore, Martin, Oak Lake, Paulson (Lincoln County), Pumpkin Center (Minnehaha County), Vermilion, Yankton. South Carolina: Belton, Cayce, Charleston, Chesterfield County, Clemson, Columbia, Florence, Gramling, Greenville, Jenkinsville, Lancaster, Marion, McCormick, Mountain Rest, Ritter, Summerville, Tigerville, Union County, Winnsboro, Yemassee, York. Tennessee: Burrville, Cardwell Mtn., Cookeville, Harrison Bay State Park, Jackson, Lebanon, Nashville, Reelfoot Lake. Texas: Austin, Brazos, College Station, Columbus, Dallas. Utah: Logan County. Vermont: Burlington, Shelburne, South Burlington. Virginia: Accomac, Arlington, Ash Grove, Basye, Blacksburg, Chatham, Delaplane, Detrick (Shenandoah County), Dumfries, Falls Church, Holland, Hunters Station (Fairfax County), Lignum, Maryland, Middleburg, Natural Bridge, Newark, Paris, Pennington Gap, Piney Run, Powell Gap (Jefferson National Forest), St. Paul, Straight Creek, Trammells Landing, Westmoreland State Park, Westville, Wildcat Mountain (Fauquier County). West Virginia: Kanawha, Kearneysville, Maysville (5 mi SE), Orkney Springs, Wardensville. Wisconsin: Albany, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, Nekoosa (Wood County), Platteville, Racine, Somers. Wyoming: Bridge Basin. Canada: Ontario: Hamilton County, East View, Hull, Point Pelee, Jeanpettles Creek (Kent County), Leamington, Long Point, Norfolk County, Ottawa, Rondeau Prov. Park, Tillbury, Wentworth, Wheatley, Windsor. Quebec: Berthierville, Como, La Trappe, Laval Rap, Lonquenil, Montebello, Montreal, Mount St. Bruno (Chambly Pr.), Oka, Regaud, “St. J. Chrisost,” St. Placids.

Ataenius strigatus is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in Central America and North America.