THE L.S:\rELLICORX BEETLKP. 913 



able distance, the long, slender, slightly curved hind tibiffi having 

 become modified and well adapted for 

 this work. The beetles work in pairs, 

 a male and a female together, and the 

 ball which they roll is often several 

 times as large av their combined size. 

 (Fig. 360.) They finally bury the 

 ball in the ground and the female 



then deposits an egg in one side of it, ' |^^; i^^^ff^^^ 



thus insuring the future larva a suit- 

 able supply of food. Comstock says -^^ 

 that "this is one of the instances, 

 rare among insects, where the male 



realizes that he has some responsibil- ^.^ 3^0. canOm u^ Dnny. Me aad 

 it.A as a father, and assists the female female at work roiung a bail of dung, 

 in providina- for the young. This 



strange habit of rolling the':e balls has oroasioned much speculation 

 as to its object, and has been the soiirce of many superstitions, espe- 

 cially in ancient times. The only reasonable theory that we have 

 met is that, as many predaceous insects frequent the masses of dung 

 from which the balls are obtained, in order to pre}- upon the larvae 

 which live there, the more intelligent timible-biies remove the food 

 for their lar^'s to a safe distance." The sexes of Canthon are alike 

 in appearance and the clypeus has prominent teeth at the middle. 

 Five species have been taken in Indiana, while four others may 

 occur. 



KEY TO INDIA>"A SPECffiS OF CANTHON. 



a. Sides of thorax beneath without an entire transverse carina. 



6. Clvpeus with four to six teeth; hind thighs not margined in front; 

 size small or medium, li to 10 mm. ; color black, 

 c. Hind tibise with two spurs. 1T2.S. xigbicoexis. 



cc. Hind tibise with one spur. 



(I. Subhumeral stria not cai-inate; surface coarsely granulate. 



e. Hind femora with bristle-bearing punctures; thorax more 



eoarsel.v granulate. ebexus. 



ee. Hind femora with line setce. sjiarsely punctate; thorax more 



densely, much less coarsely granulate. cEPP.ESsrPExxis. 



dd. Subhumeral stria carinate ; surface not granulate, very smooth, 



almost shilling. pbobus. 



■ hh. Cl.\lio\is with tivo teeth; hind thiirlis mar.giued in front; size larger. 



'[^--- nun. 



f. Eyi's larger; aiitennu; reddisli-browii. vioilaxs. 



ff. r:yes smaller; aiiteuufe dork lirown. 



g. Thorax distinctly t-Tanulate; iiygidium and last ventral si-gment 

 granulate. 1724. l.evis, 



