| Agathidium | |
|---|---|
| Agathidium mandibulare | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Leiodidae |
| Subfamily: | Leiodinae |
| Genus: | Agathidium Panzer, 1797 |
| Diversity | |
| > 100 species | |
Agathidium is a genus of beetles in the family Leiodidae.
A. bushi, A. cheneyi, A. rumsfeldi and A. vaderi are species of this genus named after George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Darth Vader respectively, by two former Cornell entomologists, Dr Kelly B. Miller (now at Brigham Young University) and Dr Quentin D. Wheeler (now at ASU). 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.
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.[1]