NORTH AMERICAN GEOTRUPINAE — ^HOWDEN 291 



The species seems to be restricted to central and southern South 

 Carolina. I have examined specimens from Blaney, Columbia, 

 Lexington, White Pond, and Windsor. 



Mycotrupes lethroides (Westwood) 



Geotrupes lethroides Westwood, 1837, pp. 256-257 (type, male, Westwood collec- 

 tion).— Boucomont, 1911, pp. 349-350.— Blatchley, 1928, p. 45.— Bradley, 

 1944, p. 112.— Olson and Hubbell, in Olson, Hubbell, and Howden, 1954, 

 pt. 1, pp. 33-38. 



Since I was unable personally to examine specimens of this species, 

 the following descriptive information was summarized from informa- 

 tion presented by Olson and Hubbell. Characteristics which dis- 

 tinguish the species are: Clypeus anteriorly rather truncate, sharply 

 rounded laterally; dorsal granulations dense but not confluent, 

 pronotal tubercle in male represented by a strong laterally compressed 

 longitudinal ridge which is highest near its midpoint, tubercle in 

 female large, tetrahedral or subcorneal in shape and confluent with 

 anterior pronotal margin. Phallobase of male genitalia of the same 

 general shape as that described for retusus. 



Most of the specimens of lethroides are rather large. Dr. van 

 Emden has stated in correspondence to me that Westwood's type, a 

 male, is 20 mm. long with a strong, long, keel-shaped median tubercle 

 present behind the foremargin of the proDotum. 



The species, according to Olson and Hubbell, is found in Georgia 

 near the Savannah River in the vicinity of Augusta. 



Mycotrupes gaigei Olson and Hubbell 



Mycotrupes gaigei Olson and Hubbell, in Olson, Hubbell, and Howden, 1954, pt. 

 1, pp. 15-19. Type, male, Columbia County, 3.9 miles north of Santa Fe 

 River bridge at High Springs, Fla., Hubbell (UnMich), 



Mycotrupes gaigei is a rather distincti\ e species, as there are several 

 vaguely indicated striae on each elytron. In addition to this, the 

 coarse granules of the elytra are often confluent and larger than in 

 other species in the genus. Also serving to distinguish the species 

 is the median tubercle about 0.5 mm. behind the anterior margin of 

 the pronotum, the deep punctures lateral to and posterior to the ridge 

 of the pronotal modification of the male, and the shape of the phallo- 

 base (pi. 5, fig. 6) of the male genitalia. 



In late March 1953, through Dr. Hubbell's directions, B. K. Dozier 

 and I were able to observe several aggregations of gaigei near High 

 Springs and Archer, Fla. A large series of the adults was coUected 

 both by digging and by trapping, using malt and propionic acid. 



Many of the specimens, particularly the males, appeared to be 

 freshly emerged and there was much fresh burrowing activity. Some 



