Lack of characters, similarity of stem species of adelphotaxa and the
necessity to know the extant world fauna of the studied group of fossils are
the main difficulties in palaeontology of beetles. The paucity of characters
of most of the fossils of supposed Scarabaeoidea prevents their inclusion in a
reliable phylogenetic analysis. Only rarely can an autapomorphy of
Scarabaeoidea be seen in a fossil classified as a member of this group.
Therefore, the classification of Mesozoic and Tertiary fossils is often
tentative. Based on a critical literature review of all recorded fossil
Scarabaeoidea from the Mesozoic and Tertiary, the minimum age for families
and/or subfamilies of this group is determined. An annotated catalogue of
named fossils and ichnofossils of Scarabaeoidea and of their lagerstÄtten
is given. 238 fossil species and subspecies of this group have been described,
of which 27 are doubtful, eight already identified as belonging to other taxa,
and two subspecies synonymised with extant taxa. 189 species and 12
ichnospecies probably or reliably belong to the Scarabaeoidea. Nomenclatural
acts: Hongscarabaeus, nom. nov. for
Proscarabaeus Hong, 1982 (nec Schrank, 1781);
Onthophagus urusheeri, nom. nov. for
Onthophagus urus Heer, 1847 (nec
Ménétries, 1832); Aphodius anteactus, nom.
nov. for Aphodius antiquus Heer, 1847 (nec Faldermann,
1835); Aphodius theobaldi, nom. nov. for
Aphodius incertus Théobald, 1937 (nec Ballion,
1878); Anomala palaeobrunnea, nom. nov. for
Anomala brunnea (Hong, 1985) (nec Klug, 1855);
Eophyllocerus scrobiculatus Haupt, 1950 is designated as
the type species of Eophyllocerus Haupt, 1950;
Cangabola Lengerken, 1955 is a junior synonym of
Coprinisphaera Sauer, 1955.
‘Mais en présence des Coléoptères, sauf très rares exeptions, tout spécialiste sérieux ne peut que se récuser’.
R. Jeannel (1942: 191) on fossil faunas.
