NORTH AMERICAN GEOTRUPINAE — HOWDEN 293 



edge of the anterior pronotal margin in the male, which usually lacks 

 the tubercle present on the female at the midpoint of the pronotal 

 margin. 



The species has,lbeen found in southwestern peninsular Florida, 

 ranging from Punta Gorda southward. 



Discussion 



In the preceding sections the similarities and dissimilarities of the 

 morphology and biology of the North American Geotrupinae have 

 been treated in some detail. It is the purpose of the following sections 

 to discuss the Geotrupinae of the world with particular reference to 

 biological differences. 



PHYLOGENY AND DISTRIBUTION 



Discussion of the phylogenetic position and rank of the group as a 

 family or subfamily has been scrupulously avoided, as I feel that even 

 now there is insufficient evidence upon which to base tentative assump- 

 tions. Certainly any such dogmatic statement as the following is 

 premature: "Without exception the Scarabaeoidea have been proved 

 capable of easy delineation into the identical groups, families, sub- 

 families, tribes, genera, and feeding complexes, no matter whether the 

 larvae or adults were used for the comparisons" (Edwards, 1949, 

 p. 92). Other investigators, while not expressing this attitude, have 

 Table 5. — Geographic distribution of Geotrupini 



III "2 



Europe - 1 - 1 11 14 - - 27 



Russia -2--64--12 



Eastern Asia, Japan S--- 29 6-- 43 



India, Burma, Malaysia 21--3--- 6 



Australia.- ---_____ 



Soutli Africa. ________ 



North Africa, Near East -1-36 10 --20 



South America east of Andes --______ 



South America west of Andes ________ 



North America east of Rocliy 



Mts ----9-53 17 



North America west of Rocky 



Mts ________ 



Central America --3-7--- 10 



Total 10 5 3 4 71 34 5 3 135 



written numerous papers debating the exact status and phylogenetic 

 position of the "family" or "subfamily" Geotrupinae and its relation 

 to other groups, particularly to the genus Pleocoma. For a full dis- 

 cussion of the problem the reader should consult the papers of Ger- 

 staeker (1883), Smith (1888), Horn (1888a, 1888b, 1888c), Paulian 

 (1941), Hayes and Chang (1947), and others on this argument. 



