176 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM voL.io* 



Despite variation the species is easily recognized by the well devel- 

 oped striae and the lack of the median pronotal spot or band present 

 in tume factum. 



Bolbocerosoma bruneri is the common midwestern species of Bolbo- 

 cerosoma, apparently taking the place of the closely related common 

 northeastern species tumefadum. 



The habits of the species appear in general to be similar to other 

 species in the genus. Brown (1927, p. 27) found them making bur- 

 rows 4 to 18 inches deep in pastures and old roads where the soil was 

 rather sandy. His observations were made in Payne County, Okla., 

 where that species was rather uncommon, being collected only in June 

 and October. 



Later, Brown (1928, p. 192) mentions that the species is nocturnal 

 and colonial, often being found in an aggregation containing several 

 species of Bolbocerosoma, and sometimes other Geotrupinae. 



In other localities, particularly in Illinois and Iowa, the species is 

 active from April until November, being most often collected in June, 

 July, and August. A number of the specimens examined were col- 

 lected at light, but this fact adds little to the biological knowledge of 

 the species. 



To my knowledge, no accurate observations of an adult Bolbocero- 

 soma feeding have been made. Mohr (1930, p. 265) seems to infer 

 (in my opinion, incorrectly) that bruneri feeds on dung. He conducted 

 a study of the morphology of the forelegs and mouthparts, and, be- 

 cause of their structure rather than on biological observation, included 

 B. bruneri with the dung feeders. 



Little else is known about the habits of this species; the larva has 

 never been described. 



Specimens examined: 145 males, 130 females. 



CANADA 

 MANITOBA: 1 male. Woburn. 



UNITED STATES 



ARKANSAS: 4 females. Imboden. 



ILLINOIS: 37 males, 29 females. Algonquin, Carthage, Chicago, Cook County, 

 De Kalb County, Homer, Kankakee, Lacon, Lake Forest, Ogle County, Olive 

 Branch, Olney, Pittsfield, Putnam County, Quincy, Rogers Park, Springfield, 

 Urbana, West Northfield, Willow Springs; (1) April, (2) May, (6) June, (2) 

 July, (5) August, (4) September, (2) October, (1) November. 



INDIANA: 4 males, 4 females. Bedford, Beverly Shores, Knox County, Michi- 

 gan City, Vincennes; (1) May, (4) June, (3) July. 



IOWA: 35 males, 35 females. Ames, Cedar Rapids, Cherokee, Clear Lake, Cler- 

 mont, "Counties #3, #87, #89, #94," Crawford County, Dallas County, Davis 

 County, Delaware County, Elma, Iowa City, Moulton, Mount Pleasant, Ran- 

 dolph, Union County; (3) May, (11) June, (15) July, (9) August, (4) September, 

 (8) October. 



