These beetles are small, ranging from 3–10 millimetres (0.12–0.39 in). Their bodies are elongate and convex, with black and brown colors including yellowish- and reddish-brown shades.
As of 2012, the biology and habits of Ochodaeidae beetles is still mostly unknown. Most types have been collected in sandy areas at night, while some of their species are active during the day.
Taxonomy
Ochodaeidae beetles belong to the infraorder Scarabaeiformia, which contains only one superfamily, the Scarabaeoidea. The most striking feature of the Scarabaeoidea are the ends of their antennae, that are divided into several lamellae, thus resembling a fan. Another distinguishing feature are their legs, that possess teeth and are adapted for digging.
Ochodaeidae is divided into two subfamilies containing five tribes and 15 genera:
Subfamily Ochodaeinae Mulsant & Rey, 1871
Tribe Enodognathini Scholtz, 1988
Tribe Ochodaeini Mulsant & Rey, 1871
Subfamily Chaetocanthinae Scholtz in Scholtz, D'Hotman, Evans & Nel, 1988
Tribe Chaetocanthini Scholtz in Scholtz, D'Hotman, Evans & Nel, 1988
Tribe Pseudochodaeini Scholtz, 1988
Tribe Synochodaeini Scholtz, 1988
Literature about Ochodaeidae
Smith, A.B.T. 2006: A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections to nomenclature and a current classification. Coleopterists Society monograph, 5: 144–204.; doi:10.1649/0010-065X(2006)60[144:AROTFN]2.0.CO;2 / PDF on the web site of the Zoological Institute of St. Petersburg: PDF
Bezděk, A.; Hájek, J. 2009: Catalogue of type specimens of beetles (Coleoptera) deposited in the National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic. Scarabaeoidea: Bolboceratidae, Geotrupidae, Glaphyridae, Hybosoridae, Ochodaeidae and Trogidae. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 49: 297-332. PDF
Nikolajev, G.V. 2009: Ochodaeidae species of the Palaearctic's Asia. Euroasian entomological journal, 8(2): 205-211. [not seen]
Nikolajev, G.V.; Ren, D. 2010: The oldest fossil Ochodaeidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) from the Middle Jurassic of China. Zootaxa, 2553: 65–68. Preview
Scholtz, C.H. 1988: Phylogeny and systematics of the Ochodaeidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa, 51: 207-240. ISSN 0013-8789
I. Lobl, & A. Smetana 2006: Catalogue of Palearctic Coleoptera. Vol. 3, Apollo Books, Stenstrup, Denmark, ISBN 87-88757-59-5, p. 95
