82 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. ih 



shining, punctate pronotum with punctures of two sizes, tuberculate 

 elytral intervals, lack of secondary sexual characteristics of the prono- 

 tum and legs in the males, slightly developed or obsolete carinae of the 

 head of both sexes, and the lack of pronounced rugosity on the clypeus 

 of the females. The species is very closely allied to 0. pennsylmnicus 

 from which it may be separated by the presence of a more shining 

 pronotum, the mixed pronotal punctures of two sizes, feebly developed 

 carmae of the head, more pronounced posterior pronotal margin, and 

 less punctate femora. 



The habitat preference of 0. oklahomensis differs from pennsyl- 

 vanicus, for though both species are sometimes taken together, the 

 former is restricted almost entirely to sandy areas. It is commonly 

 taken in the sandhill regions of the southeastern coastal plain as well 

 as in sandy areas in Oklahoma and Texas. The species appears to be 

 generally a dung feeder, making shallow l-to-3-inch burrows under or 

 beside piles of cow dung. Besides being attracted to dung, adults 

 come readily to rotten melon rind, bananas, and malt and propionic 

 acid traps. In the laboratory, cow manm'e was used by the beetle for 

 construction of small oval cells buried 1 to 2 inches deep in packed 

 sandy clay. Sand grains coating the cells made them difficult to 

 measure, but 11 cells averaged approximately 10 mm. long by 8 mm. 

 wide. In this species as in pennsylvanicus, development from egg to 

 adult takes about 3 weeks or slightly longer. Several of the cells 

 were formed about June 25, and on July 17 some contained pupae or 

 teneral adults. The length of the various instars was not ascertained. 



Onthophagiis pennsylvanicus Harold 



Plate 6, Figures 59 and 60 



Onthophagus ovatus Melsheimer, 1806, p. 4 (not Linnaeus, 1767, p. 551). — Say, 1835, 

 p. 174.— Dejean, 1836, p. 158.— Sturm, 1843, p. 108. — Haldeman and 

 LeConte, 1853, p. 54.— LeConte, 1863, p. 36.— Gemminger and Harold, 1869, 

 p. 1034.— Crotch, 1874, p. 57.— Austin, 1880, p. 25.— Leonard, 1928, p. 418. 



Onthophagus moeris Sturm, 1826, p. 178 (attributed to Melsheimer; nomen 

 nudum). 



Onthophagus pennsylvanicus Dejean, 1836, p. 158 (nomen nudum). — Sturm 1843, 

 p. 108 (nomen nudum). — Gemminger and Harold, 1869, p. 1034 (nomen 

 nudum).— Harold, 1871, p. 115.— Horn, 1875, p. 141.— Austin, 1880, p. 

 25.— Henshaw, 1885, p. 87.— Blatchley, 1910, p. 920.— Schaeflfer, 1914, p. 

 297.— Leng, 1920, p. 249.— Dawson, 1922, p. 179.— Boucomont and Gillet, 

 1927, p. 207.— Boucomont, 1932, p. 318.— Lindquist, 1933, p. 120; 1935, p. 

 8.— Ritcher, 1945, p. 15. 



Onthophagus falcipes Harold, 1871, p. 115. 



Male majors. — Length 4.3 to 5.0 mm., width 2.7 to 3.2 mm. 

 Dorsal color piceous or black, usually black and dully shining; ven- 

 tral surfaces usually black with legs piceous. Head with clypeus 

 moderately reflexed and slightly prolonged anteriorly, the refiexed 



