Phoberus fumarius is a species of hide beetle in the subfamily Troginae discovered by Erwin Haaf in 1953.

Cutting-edge beetle cleaning techniques allowed coleopterologists Strümpher and Stals to discern important anatomical differences between P. fumarius and P. cyrtus, reinstating the former as a distinct species.

These tufts range in color from an amberish yellow-brown to light rust-brown, and measure less than half a millimeter in height.

Its known geographic distribution follows the Cape Fold Mountains, a pattern of range seen across many beetle groups in South Africa.

[4] This ground-based beetle is a detritivore and survives by consuming keratin from shed, excreted, or rotting animal material.