ENTOMOLOOICAL CAR1NF.T, 



APHODIUS LURIDUS. Fabr. 



Black : head without tubercles and punctured : 

 thorax punctured : elytra yellowish brown striated, 

 the interstices with black streaks or square spots : 

 legs vary from a pitchy to a dark black. 



Length 4 lines. 



Inhabits the dung of horses and cattle in the 

 spring months, and is subject to great variety. 



Mr. Kirby observes of this species, that " colour 

 alone, especially in insects inhabiting the same dis- 

 trict, only indicates a casual variety. Thus Aphodius 

 luridus F. has sometimes pale elytra with the striae 

 black (ScarabcBUS nigro-sukatus E. B.) : at others it 

 has black spots between the stria?, as in the type : in 

 a third variety, the elytra are black at the base and 

 pale at the apex (Sc. varius E. B.) : and lastly, in a 

 fourth they are entirely black (Sc. gagates E. B.) ; — 

 yet all these in every other respect precisely cor- 

 respond. But the converse of this will scarcely hold 

 good ; for doubtless minor differences of structure 

 are sometimes produced by a different food and cli- 

 mate : which may probably account for some varia- 

 tions observable in the individuals apparently of the 

 same species obtained from different countries." 



14-3 32 



