183 



Sf'AUAJ},1';iD/K. 



Tha greater jjart of th(3.so large b(!(;tl(;s are leaf-chafers, but among 



the rnerubers of this extensive family is a gn^up of scavengers, of which 



the tumljlebug is a common ex- 

 ample. These feed on dung and 



other dead organic matter, and the 



dung feeders occasionally turn their 



attention to ripe corn in the ear or 



on the ground. The club of the 



antenna; in this family is not solid, 



but is composed of several lliin 



leaves, which can be separated like 



those of a book. 



Aphodius granarius lias been 



known to eat the planted corn 



kernel, and is therefore treated in 



the Eighteenth Report of this office 



(page 14). The rmick-be(!tles (Li- 



{jyrus) are discussed on another page. 



The following othcir sj)ecies, which 



maybe included in this group, have 



been loiuid by us eating com grains 



in the field in fall. 



Onthoph/xfjus hecate (Fig. \1\)) resembles a small tumblebug. It has 



a blunt forward-projecting horn on the thorax, it is generally abundant, 



most so about decaying animal or vegetable matter. It was found in 



Sef^tember, near Urbana, hollowing out the kernels in a number of ears 



of corf], all/jf them softened, how- 

 ever, by dampness or decay. 



Examples of A tamius cogmituH 

 (Fig. IHOj, a small species for- 

 merly confused with the very com- 

 mon A. stercorator , were taken 

 from wet, decaying husks of a 

 fallen ear of corn at Farina, 

 Illinois, and another specimen 

 emerged July 2'4 from a }>upa 

 fouiifl among corn roots on the 

 21st. 



Another species of this fam- 

 ily, Crema.stochiluf! knochii, has 

 been taken by us more than onc(; 



Vi<:. 180. AUeniuH coi/wilan. J.enKtfi about ,•11 ,. r • 



one Hjxth inch. ou lalleii oars 01 com. It IS a 



Fig. 179. OrdhophatjuH 

 about one fourth inch. 



hecate. Length 



