Belongs within: Scarabaeinae.
Contains: Onthophagus.
The Onthophagini are a cosmopolitan tribe of dung beetles. The scutellum has the posterior margin with a short apical projection and truncate apex, and rapidly converging sides laterally (Philips 2016). Members of the tribe bury pieces of dung for egg-laying where they find it rather than rolling it elsewhere for burial. A number of species have been widely introduced around the world to assist in the breakdown of waste from livestock, such as the southern African Digitonthophagus gazella. Members of one clade, including the genera Stiptopodius and Pinacotarsus, are inquilines in ant and termite nests (Philips 2016). Species of the African genus Amietina are carrion feeders (Philips 2016).
<==Onthophagini [Alloscelina]
|--Proagoderus Van Lansberge 1883P16
| |--P. lanistaP16
| |--P. ramosicornisB14
| `--P. rangifer Klug 1855B14
`--+--Diastellopalpus Van Lansberge 1886P16
| `--D. thomsoniP16
`--+--+--Digitonthophagus Balthasar 1959P16
| | |--D. gazella (Fabricius 1787) [=Scarabaeus gazella, Onthophagus gazella; incl. S. dorcas Olivier 1789]GD17
| | `--‘Scarabaeus’ catta Fabricius 1787GD17
| `--Phalops Erichson 1847P16
`--+--‘Onthophagus’ depressus Harold 1871P16, M72 [incl. O. carteri Blackburn 1904M72]
`--+--+--Strandius Balthasar 1935P16
| | `--S. lenziP16
| `--OnthophagusP16
`--+--Euonthophagus Balthasar 1959P16
`--+--+--Milichus Péringuey 1901P16
| | `--M. apicalisP16
| `--Tomogonus d’Orbigny 1904P16
| `--T. crassusP16
`--+--Hyalonthophagus Palestrini 1989P16
| `--H. alcyonP16
`--+--Caccobius Thomson 1859P16
| |--C. ferrugineusP16
| `--C. schreberiC01
`--+--Mimonthophagus Balthasar 1963P16
| `--M. hinnulusP16
`--+--Cleptocaccobius Cambefort 1984P16
| `--C. schaedleiP16
`--+--Amietina Cambefort 1981P16
| `--A. eburneaP16
`--+--+--Haroldius Boucomont 1914 [incl. Afroharoldius, Formicdubius, Ponerotrogus]P16
| | `--H. convexusP16
| `--Cassolus Sharp 1875P16
| `--C. humeralisP16
`--+--Megaponerophilus Janssens 1949P16
| `--M. megaponeraeP16
`--+--Alloscelus Boucomont 1923P16
| `--A. paradoxusP16
`--+--Pseudosaproecius Balthasar 1941P16
| `--P. validicornisP16
`--+--Eusaproecius Branco 1989P16
| `--E. tinantaeP16
`--+--Stiptopodius Harold 1871P16
| `--S. doriaeP16
`--+--Pinacotarsus Harold 1875P16
| `--P. dohrniP16
`--+--Heteroclitopus Péringuey 1901P16
| `--H. annamariaeP16
`--Sukelus Branco 1992P16
`--S. jessopiP16
Onthophagini incertae sedis:
Anoctus Sharp 1875P16
Cambefortius Branco 1989P16
Cyobius Sharp 1875P16
Disphysema Harold 1873P16
Dorbignyolus Branco 1989P16
Krikkenius Branco 1989P16
Neosaproecius Branco 1989P16
Pinacopodius Branco 1989P16
Stiptocnemis Branco 1989P16
Stiptotarsus Branco 1989P16
Unidentis Josso & Prévost 2012P16
Walterantus Cambefort 1977P16
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[B14] Bouchard, P. (ed.) 2014. The Book of Beetles: A lifesize guide to six hundred of nature’s gems. Ivy Press: Lewes (United Kingdom).
[C01] Csiki, E. 1901. Bogarak [Coleopteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 75–120. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.
[GD17] Génier, F., & A. L. V. Davis. 2017. Digitonthophagus gazella auctorum: an unfortunate case of mistaken identity for a widely introduced species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini). Zootaxa 4221 (4): 497–500.
[M72] Matthews, E. G. 1972. A revision of the scarabaeine dung beetles of Australia. I. Tribe Onthophagini. Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 9: 1–330.
[P16] Philips, T. K. 2016. Phylogeny of the Oniticellini and Onthophagini dung beetles (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) from morphological evidence. ZooKeys 579: 9–57.