WEST INDIAN APHODIINAE CHAPIN ^7 



4. APHODIUS CUNICULUS Chevrolat 



Aphodius cuniculus CHB\aJOLAT, 1864, Ann. Soc. Eut. France, ser. 4, vol. 4, p. 411. 

 Aphodius (Nialus) cuniculus Schmidt, 1913, Arch. Naturg., vol. 79A, fasc. 11, 

 p. 169. 



Convex, rufopiceous with anterior and lateral margins of pro- 

 notum, lateral margins and apices of elytra, and legs rufous. Head 

 with three small tubercles on the clypeofrontal suture, the median 

 of which is the largest, clypeus with margin slightly reflexed, obtusely 

 angulate on each side of the median depression, surface finely and 

 rather densely punctured. Frons between eyes punctured as clypeus, 

 vertex polished, without punctures. Gena separated from clypeus 

 by an angular indentation, not more prominent than eye. Pronotum 

 convex, sides gently curved, anterior angles blunt, lateral margins 

 finely beaded, base without marginal line. Surface sparsely but 

 evenly set with a mixture of very fine and very coarse punctures, and 

 without gi'ound sculpture. Scutelliun elongate-triangular, without 

 punctures. Elytra with striae rather deep. The strial punctures 

 conspicuous, intervals moderately convex and sparsely set with ex- 

 tremely fine punctures, which become coarser on elytral declivity. 

 Pygidium finely and densely sculptured, sparsely hairy. Hind tibia 

 fringed at apex with row of equal spinules, first segment of hind 

 tarsus shorter than the next three combined. Length: 3-4 mm. (5 

 mm. according tO' Chevrolat) . 



Type. — ^Location unknown to writer. 



Type locality. — Cuba. 



Material examined. — In all, 1,945 specimens, plus many broken ones 

 discarded during the progress of the investigation, have been studied. 

 This total comprises material from: Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, 

 Puerto Rico, Vieques, St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, St. Kitts, 

 Antigua, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, 

 Barbados, St. Vincent, Carriacou, Grenada, and Tobago. 



Genus PLEUROPHORUS Mulsant, 1842 



Pleurophorus Mulsant, 1842, Histoire naturelle des Col6opteres de France, 

 Lamellicornes, p. 312. — Schmidt, 1922, Das Tlerreich, pars 45, Aphodiinae, 

 pp. 469, 488. 



Type of genus: Scarabaeus caesus Creutzer (by monotypy). 



This genus of few species, one of which is becoming world-wide in 

 its distribution, is represented in the West Indies by a single small 

 form. As in Saprosites^ the first segment of the hind tarsus is short 

 and stout, but it is distinguished from that genus by the broad middle 

 and hind femora as well as by the characters noted in the key. Many 

 specimens of the closely related P. hatesi (Arrow) have been taken 

 from humus by means of Berlese funnel traps, and it is probable that 

 most of the species of Pleurophorus are humus-living organisms. 



