294 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. loi 



Any discussion on the erection of a separate family, Geotrupidae, 

 should be delayed until considerably more information has been 

 accumulated. The arguments presented by Arrow (1904), Boving 

 and Craighead (1930-1931), Paulian (1939), and Edwards (1949) for 

 the establishment of a family were based only on very limited and 

 carefully*selected cases. One^of^ these, the presence of 11-segmented 

 antennae, not only is found in the Geotrupinae but also in other 

 scarabaeids, such as Pleocoma. The rather distinctive genital capsule, 

 not even considered by most workers, occurs not only in the Geotru- 

 pinae but in the Hybosorinae, Ochodaeinae, and Taurocerastinae. 

 Arguments for establishing a separate family have been based on the 

 reduced third leg found in the larvae of the genus Geotrupes. In this 

 instance, what the investigators seem to have completely and con- 

 veniently overlooked was the fact that Geotrupes, Peltotrupes, and 

 Mycotrupes are the only genera known that have the reduced meta- 

 thoracic legs. Typhoeus, in the same tribe, does not have the reduced 

 legs, nor do any of the known larvae in Lethrini or Bolboceratini. 

 Our present knowledge still seems inadequate in these groups and no 

 further comments will be made on phylogeny. 



Table 6. — Geographic distribution of Lethrini 



Europe ., __________ 



Russia ---235-42- 16 



Eastern Asia, Japan ---4-1-2-1 8 



India, Burma, Malaysia __._____-_ 



Australia -__---__-- 



South Africa ---------- 



North Africa, Near East 1426222 IS 21 40 



South America east of Andes _-__------ 



South America west of Andes..- _-__-___-_ 



North America east of Rocky Mts -_-___---_ 



North America west of Rocky Mts --__-____- 



Central America... -___--__-_ 



Total 142 12 582 24 4264 



Representatives of the subfamily Geotrupinae are worldwide in 

 distribution (see tables 5-7), being found on all the continents with 

 the exception, of course, of Antarctica. The habits of many of the 

 genera are unknown, but all of them seemingly are strong burrowers, 

 provisioning food for the nutrition of their larvae. Fmther investi- 

 gation may prove the second part of this statement at least partially 

 incorrect, for in the subfamily Geotrupinae there have been lumped 

 three really diverse tribes, both in form and in habits. 



