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CIRCULAR No. 351 ^^. MAY 1935 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



WASHINGTON, D.C. 



NOTES ON THE HABITS.OF CERTAIN COPROPHAGOUS 

 BEETLES AND METROmOF ..REARING THEM 



By Arthur W. Lindquist, junior entomologist, Division of Insects Affecting 

 Man and- Animals, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Rearing methods 1 



Habits of various coprophagous beetles 2 



Copris remotus Lee 2 



Phanaeus triangularis (Say) 4 



Canthon laevis (Drury) 5 



Canthon lecontei Har 6 



Canthon cyanellus Lee 6 



Onthophagus anthr acinus Har 6 



Page 

 Habits of various coprophagous beetles— Con. 



Onthophagus pennsylvanicus Har 7 



Pinotus colonicus (Say) 7 



Aphodius spp. and Ataenius spp 7 



The attraction of coprophagous beetles to car- 

 casses and meat 7 



Coprophagous beetles as a natural control of 



the horn fly 7 



Summary ._. 8 



INTRODUCTION 



Coprophagous beetles are of economic importance as well as of 

 general interest, for severel reasons: (1) By disturbing cattle clung, 

 the breeding medium of the horn fly (Raematobia irritans L.), they 

 probably reduce the abundance of this widespread pest of cattle; 

 (2) many species are intermediate hosts of parasites of poultry and 

 other animals; (3) they play an important role in the interchange of 

 soils and the incorporation of organic matter; and (4) they exhibit 

 the instincts of maternity and progeny protection. As there ap- 

 peared to be a dearth of information on the habits of these dung 

 beetles in this country and on methods by which these insects can 

 be reared, the following notes and observations were made at Uvalde, 

 Tex., from time to time from 1931 to 1934. 



REARING METHODS 



For rearing Copris, Phanaeus, and Pinotus in the laboratory, 

 boxes containing sandy loam soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches are 

 used. The bottoms of the boxes are removed and the walls placed 

 on floor boards 1 inch thick and held in place with cleats. By this 

 arrangement the walls can be lifted from the cake of soil so that an 

 examination can be made for the immature forms. A screen-wire 

 top is necessary to keep the beetles from escaping. Heavy clay 

 soils which will gum together when wet should be avoided. The 

 soil should be kept moist and fresh dung supplied every few days. 

 Apple boxes 18 by 12 by 12 inches are suitable for rearing Copris 

 and Phanaeus, but longer boxes should be used for rearing Pinotus. 

 Canthon laevis Drury can also be reared in these boxes, but since this 



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