Subfamilies | Tribes | Genera |
BOLBOCERATINAE |
BOLBOCERATINI |
Bolbapium Bolbelasmus Bolboceras Bolbocerastes Bolbocerosoma Bolborhinum Bolborhombus Bolbothyreus Bradycinetulus Eucanthus Halffterobolbus Parabolbapium |
ATHYREINI |
Athyreus Neothyreus Parathyreus |
|
GEOTRUPINAE |
GEOTRUPINI |
Ceratophyus Geotrupes Mycotrupes Peltotrupes |
TAUROCERASTINI |
Frickius Taurocerastes |
Ecology
Life histories of the geotrupids are diverse, and food habits vary from saprophagous
to coprophagous and mycetophagous, and some adults apparently do not feed.
Adults of most species are secretive, living most of their life in burrows.
Although adults do not tend larvae, adults provision food for larvae in brood
burrows. There is overlapping of generations in some species. For example,
in the genus Bolboceras, eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults have been observed
together in a single branching burrow. Adults dig vertical burrows (15-200
cm in depth) and provision larval cells with dead leaves, cow dung, horse
dung, or humus. Burrows of some species extend to a depth of 3.0 meters. In
restricted habitats, some species are semi-colonial. Geotrupids are not of
economic importance, although their burrowing has occasionally caused damage
in lawns. Adults of many geotrupids are nocturnal and are frequently attracted
to lights at night. Some species are attracted to fermenting malt and molasses
baits. Most adults and larvae stridulate. The biology and behavior of many
species, especially the Bolboceratinae, are poorly known. References: Howden
1955; Woodruff 1973.
Larvae
Form scarabaeiform (C-shaped, cylindrical). Color creamy-white or yellow (except
at caudal end which may be darkened by accumulated feces). Cranium heavily
sclerotized, brown to dark brown. Antennae 3-segmented, penultimate segment
bearing 1 or more distal sense organs, last segment reduced in diameter. Lateral
ocelli absent. Frontoclypeal suture absent (Geotrupinae and Bolboceratinae)
or present (Taurocerastinae). Labrum at apex with 3 weak lobes or rounded.
Epipharynx usually trilobed with symmetrical tormae. Maxilla with galea and
lacinia distinctly separate; maxillary stridulatory area with teeth; maxillary
palpi 4-segmented. Abdominal segments 3 to 7 with 2 annuli, each with one
or more transverse rows of short setae. Spiracles cribriform (Geotrupinae
and Lethrinae) or biforous (Bolboceratinae and Taurocerastinae). Venter of
last abdominal segment V-shaped or Y-shaped, surrounded by fleshy lobes in
some taxa. Legs 4-segmented (some Bolboceratinae) or pro- and mesothoracic
legs 3-segmented and metathoracic leg reduced in size and 2-segmented (Geotrupinae
and Taurocerastinae); stridulatory apparatus on meso- and metathoracic legs
present (some Geotrupinae, some Bolboceratinae, some Taurocerastinae) or absent
(some Geotrupinae, some Bolboceratinae, and Lethrinae); claws absent (Geotrupinae,
Taurocerastinae, and some Bolboceratinae) or present (Eucanthus and Bolbocerosoma).
References: Ritcher 1966; Scholtz 1990; Scholtz and Browne 1996.
References Cited
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