FAMILY SCARABAEIDAE 73 



Family SCARABAEIDAE. 



{Dung Beetles and Chafers.) 



This is a very large family of beetles, including several sub-families; the 

 Scarabaeinae or Dung rollers; Melolonthinae or Cockchafers; the Rutelinae; 

 the Dynastineie; and the Cetoniinae or Rosechafers. Only the Melolonthinae, 

 Rutelinae, Dynastinae, and Cetoniinae are of importance in the forest. 



The beetles of the family may be recognized by the fact that the 

 leaflets of the club form little plates which are easily opened out and closed. 

 The elytra leave the pygidium exposed, and the number of ventral segments 

 of the abdomen visible is six. The beetles are thick, bulky insects, some of 

 large size, with a flat head and the prothorax large, often spined, and the 

 front tibiae flattened and spined, the front pair of legs being often used for 

 digging purposes. Black, yellow, brown, or grey colouring predominates, 

 save in the Cetoniinae, where green and copper are also present. 



The larvae (fig. 30, a) are large, thick, curved, and much -corrugated 

 grubs, with a large brown head and three pairs of legs, and resemble the 

 lucanid grubs. 



Both beetles and grubs of the four sub-families we are concerned with 

 feed upon plants, the grubs on the roots and other parts of young seedlings, 

 and the beetles on the leaves or flowers. The grubs of some species have 

 been observed or reported as causing serious damage to seedlings ; deodar 

 sowings have suffered from the attacks in the Western Himalaya, and 

 casuarina in the plantations in Madras. 



The larval life is thought to extend over more than one year, in some 

 instances perhaps over several years, the grubs feeding voraciously during 

 this period, save during the winter months in the colder climate of the hilly 

 districts, when they burrow deep down in the soil and hibernate. The 

 pupal stage is in many instances short, but the beetles spend a more or 

 less lengthy period in the soil in the " resting" state whilst their outer hard 

 chitinous parts are solidifying. Immature beetles found in this stage in the 

 soil are light yellow or yellow brown in colour. 



MELOLONTHINAE. 



The beetles have no horns on the head or prothorax, and one spiracle 

 is visible on the pygidium. The beetles are of moderate size, with thick 

 bodies and front legs flat and broad and adapted for digging. 



The sub-family is divided into several divisions, of which genera of the 

 Sericini (Serica) and Melolonthini {Lepidiota, Holotricha, Melolontha) only 

 will be considered. 



Serica. 



A common forest genus of cockchafers of moderate to small size, and 

 yellow, brown, or dark brown-black in colour. 



