Bodilopsis rufa

Formerly placed within the genus Aphodius and then known as Aphodius rufus.

Bodilopsis rufa, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 18th August 2019

Bodilopsis rufa, Row Heath, West Runton (Norfolk, UK), 31st August 2019

Bodilopsis rufa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows (Norfolk, UK), 10th July 2021

Bodilopsis rufa showing head, scutellum and apex of elytra, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 31st August 2023

I don't always find these easy to key, especially when it comes to eliminating Bodilus ictericus. I think I probably dissected this one in the hope of finding an aedegaus to help firm up the ID. It turned out to be a female and I'm not sure how useful the spermatheca is for ID.

Bodilopsis rufa showing head from below, apex of elytra (2 views) and spermatheca, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 21st July 2024

This one was quite a bit paler than previous examples but I think that's within the normal range of variation for this species. I hesitated interpreting the ventral apical spine lengths of the hind tibia as one seemed longer on one length (nearer the margin others were longer but that's ok). Just in case I'd gone wrong here I keyed both ways but came to a dead end if I didn't taken them to be more-or-less equal. Note the live photos reflect the true colour more accurately than the close-ups - there must have been a bit of moisture in the pot as the whole insect blackened after death (and stank!).

Bodilopsis rufa showing head, hind tibial ventral apical spines (both legs), scutellum and apex of elytron, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 14th August 2025

This was a little on the small side for Bodilopsis rufa, prompting me to wonder if it might be Bodilus ictericus. Close inspection of the apex of the elytra revealed a very faint suggestion of shallow punctures beyond the end of the striae but this was unconvincing. I dissected it in the hope that it would be a male and I could confirm it genitalically, but it was female (the spermatheca was distinctly straighter than the one shown above, and I doubt if it's of any use separating the species). I then found that I could view the apex of the elytra more clearly if I lifted it away from the abdomen and after examining it like this I was strongly leaning towards Bodilopsis rufa, but still wanting to understand exactly how obvious the punctures would be on Bodilus ictericus. After a bit of searching I came across this photo of Bodilus ictericus elytral apex, and on that the punctures are clear, fine and distinct, quite unlike anything I could see on my specimen.

Bodilopsis rufa showing apex of elytra (4 views) and spermatheca, Cooper Street, near Ash (Kent, UK), 17th July 2026