NORTH AMERICAN GEOTRUPINAE — ^HOWDEN 159 



some specimens, but not in the numbers desired. Another technique 

 employed gallon cans partially filled with dirt that were sunk into 

 the gound and then baited with fungi and dung. While producing 

 a number of specimens, these methods were still not satisfactory. 



Young (1950) had mentioned the attractive power of molasses, 

 and several types of molasseslike substances were tried. The most 

 successful of these was found to be one part of triple malt extract to 

 three parts of water with a Uttle yeast added. This was a very good 

 method for determining the species in an area. Also malt was the 

 best attractant found for use in very xeric habitats in the summer. 

 Other advantages were that the attractiveness lasted over a long period 

 and once the beetle fell into the mixture it did not escape. However, 

 although the malt traps were very successful, specimens captured 

 were invariably drowned and the method is not recommended for 

 obtaining live specimens. A screen to keep the beetles out of the 

 malt was added but for some reason the trap then lost some of its 

 effectiveness. Also, it is apparently necessary for the malt to ferment 

 for a number of days before becoming fully effective and some other 

 attractant was needed when the collector was only staying in an area 

 overnight. 



Shortly before the conclusion of this work, a number of adult 

 Geotrupes were procured in an interesting manner. At Faison, N. C, 

 some work was in progress on the control of the fall army worm. In 

 August and September several applications of Endrin (Julius Hyman 

 Compound 269) were made on corn at the rate of one-eighth pound 

 of insecticide per acre. Three weeks following the last treatment, on 

 Oct. 28, 1952, a large number of dead and dying Geotrupes black- 

 burnii were noted in a small area of the corn field. On closer examina- 

 tion, some human dung was found between the rows of corn. In, 

 under, and around the dung were many dead and dying dung-inhabit- 

 ing insects (including about 40 G. hlackhurnii) . The only apparent 

 explanation for the death of the beetles appears to be the residual 

 action of the insecticide. I have not been able to further pursue this 

 seemingly productive method of collecting some of the dung- and ground- 

 inhabiting Scarabaeidae. 



Finally, a trap was devised that attracted numbers of Geotrupes 

 and did not kill or injure them. It consisted of a can containing an 

 attractant and a funnel top. The top was cut out of a gallon can and 

 holes were punched in the bottom with a nail to permit drainage. 

 Two holes were made 2 inches above the bottom for attaching a small 

 vial of attractant. Then three holes, for wire hooks to hold a funnel, 

 were punched around the top of the can. A piece of cardboard was 

 cut out to form a shallow funnel with a central opening 1 inch in diam- 

 eter and sides overlapping the can by 1 inch. The cardboard was 



