Agathidium

Taxobox
name = "Agathidium"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Coleoptera
familia = Leiodidae
genus = "Agathidium"
genus_authority = Panzer, 1797
diversity_link = Agathidium
diversity = > 100 species
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "A. bushi" "A. cheneyi" "A. rumsfeldi" "A. vaderi" and 61 others

"Agathidium bushi", "Agathidium cheneyi", and "Agathidium rumsfeldi" are species of round fungus beetles named after George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld, respectively, by two former Cornell entomologists, Dr Kelly B. Miller (now at Brigham Young University) and Dr Quentin D. Wheeler (now at the Natural History Museum). According to Miller and Wheeler, the naming of the beetles (who were three of 65 species to be named) was done in homage to the political figures. Other namesakes for species in this genus include Darth Vader, "who shares with "A. vaderi" a broad, shiny, helmetlike head", and Pocahontas.

Some species can roll themselves up into an almost complete sphere, similar to pillbugs. Some males have horns on their left mandibles to dislodge rival males.Atlantic Canada Coleoptera: [http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/Agathidium.html "Agathidium" Panzer 1797 and "Gelae" Miller and Wheeler 2004] (with pictures)]

See also

* "Anophthalmus hitleri"

References

* (2005). "Slime-mold beetles of the genus "Agathidium" Panzer in North and Central America, part II. "Coleoptera: Leiodidae"." "Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History" 291(1): 1-167. DOI|10.1206/0003-0090(2005)291<0001:SBOTGA>2.0.CO;2 [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/459 Free PDF reprint]

External links

* [http://www.news.cornell.edu/Stories/April05/slime-mold.Bush.Cheney.ssl.html Press Release] from Cornell News
* [http://inbio.byu.edu/faculty/mfw2/whitinglab/KBM.htm Dr Kelly B Miller] 's homepage
* [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/staffpages/qwheeler.html Dr Quentin D Wheeler] 's homepage