Pharochilus rugiceps (Hope & Westwood, 1845) (a species of bess-beetle)

Semmens, T.D., McQuillan, P.B. & Hayhurst, G. (1992). Catalogue of the Insects of Tasmania. Government of Tasmania: Department of Primary Industry, 104 pp. (as Pharochilus politus)

TMAG collections

Typical length (mm): 35
Flightedness: winged and assumed capable of flight

Source literature on morphology and taxonomy (*primary taxonomic source, where identified):
Dibb, J.R. (1938). Synopsis of the Australian Passalidae (Coleoptera). Trans. Roy. Entom. Soc. Lond. 87: 103-124.

Assumed larval feeding: wood-feeder
Association with dead wood or old trees: obligately saproxylic
Ecological attributes: — Eucalyptus amygdalina is a host-plant (Bashford, 1990a).

Collection method(s) for TMAG material: — Hand collection (substrate not specified).

Source ecological literature:
Bashford, R. (1990a). Tasmanian forest insects and their host plants: records from the Tasmanian Forestry Commission insect collection. Hobart: Tas. Forestry Commission, 32 pages.
Daley, E. (2007). Wings: an introduction to Tasmania’s winged insects. Hobart: 40 Degrees South Pty. Ltd., 236 pages.
Fearn, S. (1988). Notes on an unusually large colony of the Passalid Pharochilus politus (Scarabaeoidae, Passalidae) in Tasmania. Tas. Nat. 92 (6).