Andrey V. Frolov
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Research fellow, Ph.D. |
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Taxonomic |
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ADDRESS: |
Laboratory of Insect Systematics
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BIRTH DATE AND PLACE: |
14 May 1974 |
RESEARCH
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Systematics, morphology and zoogeography of the family Scarabaeidae (sensu lato). Alpha-taxonomy of some groups of Aphodiinae, Scarabaeinae and Orphninae. Morphology of larval stages, correlation between characters of larva and imago. Relationships between classifications based on imaginal and larval characters. |
EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC DEGREES: |
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AWARDS
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COLLECTION BASED
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FIELD WORK: |
Europe:
Asia:
Africa:
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SELECTED
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Frolov, A.V., Scholtz, C.H. 2005. Revision of the southern African genus Frankenbergerius Balthasar with description of new taxa (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). Journal of Natural History, 39(25): 2355-2377. 520 Kb Frolov, A.V., Scholtz, C.H. 2004. Revision of the southern African genus Macroderes Westwood (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). Ann. Soc. entomol. Fr. (n.s.), 40(3-4): 371-391. 1.3 Mb 21 Mb (high resolution) Frolov, A.V. 2004. New and little known species of the Afrotropical genus Sarophorus (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) and a cladistic analysis of the genus. Journal of Afrotropical Zoology, 1:95-100. 1 Mb Frolov, A.V., Scholtz, C.H. 2003. Revision of the Afrotropical dung beetle genus Sarophorus Erichson (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae). African Entomology, 11(2):183-198. 1.3 Mb Frolov, A.V. & Scholtz, C.H. 2003. A new genus and species of dung beetle from southern Namibia (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae: Scarabaeinae). African Entomology, 11(2):297-299. 820 Kb Frolov A.V. 2002. A review of the Aphodius Illiger, 1798 subgenus Chilothorax Motschulsky, 1859 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of China. Russian Entomol. J., 10(4): 395-399. Frolov A.V. 2001. A review of Aphodius, subgenus Chilothorax (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae),of Mongolia with description of new species. Vestnik Zoologii, 35(3): 39-45. 950 Kb Frolov, A.V. 2001. Species of the subgenus Bodilus (genus Aphodius) from Russia and adjacent countries (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Zoosystematica Rossica,10(1): 89-95. 1.1 Mb |
The subfamily Scarabaeinae is a group of scarab beetles distributed world-wide . It includes about 230 genera and more than 5000 species. According to one of widely accepted classifications the subfamily is divided into 12 tribes. Most of these tribes are well defined groups and there is little doubt about their monophyly. Much debate, however, concerns the tribe Dichotomiini which includes 30 genera and some 700 species distributed mainly in southern continents. No synapomorphic character was found for this group. To make the classification of the Scarabaeinae reflect its phylogeny it is essential to conduct a phylogenetic analysis of all the dichotomiine genera as well as representatives of other tribes.
The major deterrent to these pylogenetic studies is the lack of taxonomic treatment of many dichotomiine genera. Within the course of this project a few poorly known African genera, namely Macroderes, Sarophorus, and Frankenbergerius are revised. The work on Coptorhina, Delopleurus and Pedaria is in progress.
Aphodius is the largest genus of the subfamily Aphodiinae and one of the largest genera of insects. There are some 240 Aphodius species distributed on the territory of the former USSR (provisional list of species is available). It is impossible now to estimate the number of species more exactly as the fauna is not well studied and new to science species, inhabiting specific biotopes (for example, mammal burrows) or active in fall-winter period (in southern regions), can be discovered. Moreover, some species known from adjacent territories can be found in Russia. On the other hand, thorough examination of the type specimens can result in the species list reduction because of sinonymization of a part of names.
Thanks to numerous expeditions of the staff and the collections received as a gift, Zoological Institute possesses vast amount of aphodiins of Eastern Europe and extratropical Asia, including the type specimens of the well-known Russian specialists in scarab beetles (V. Koshantschikov, D. Koshantschikov, A.P. Semenov-Tien-Shanskyi, S.I. Medvedev). Most of this material has not yet been identified. As a result of the on-going collection treatment, a series of the revisions of the most difficult subgenera and a resumptive work with a key to species will be published.
Last updated: September 16, 2005.