912 



FAMILY L. — - SCARAB. EID.1t:. 



Tribe I. COPRINI. 



Beetles of rounded form and variable size, which live almost 

 exclusively in excrement or decaying fungi. They have the clypeus 

 expanded so as to cover entirely the mouth organs ; the mandibles 

 principally membranous, with only the outer margin horn-like; 

 middle legs widely separated; elytra subtruneate at apex, leaving 

 the pygidium exposed. The tribe is subdivided into seven genera, 

 five of which are represented in Indiana. The principal literature 

 treating of the North American genera is by 



Horn. — "Notes on Some Genera of Coprophagus Searabaeidae of 

 the United States," in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, III, 1870, 

 42-51. 



Horn. — ' ' Synonymical Notes and Descriptions of New Species of 

 North American Coleoptera, " in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, V, 

 1875. The genera Chceridium and Onthophagus are treated 

 on pp. 137-141. 



BlancJiard. Frederick. — "On the Species of Canthon and Pba- 



nseus of the United States, with Notes on other Genera," in 



Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, XII, 1885. 163-172. 

 Schceffer, Chas. — "On Bradycinetus and Bolboceras of North 



America, with Notes on other Scarabseidn?, " in Trans. Amer. 



Ent. Soc, XXXII, 1906, pp. 249-278. 



KEY TO INDIANA. GENERA OF COPRINT. 



a. Middle and hind tibia 3 , slender, curved, but little enlarged at tip ; bead 

 and thorax never horned in either sex. I. Canthon. 



aa. Middle and hind tibiae much expanded at tip ; males usually with horns 

 on the head or thorax. 

 b. Third joint of labial palpi distinct. 



c. Size small, not over 7 mm. ; front coxae very transverse, not promi- 

 nent. II. Chceridium. 

 cc. Size larger, 10 to 27 mm. ; front coxa? short, prominent. 

 cl. Front legs with tarsi ; tarsal claws distinct ; color black. 



III. Copris. 



dd. Front legs of males without tarsi; all tarsal claws wanting; col- 

 ors metallic and green. IV. Phan^etjs. 

 TjIj. Labial palpi 2-jointed ; scutellum invisible; size small, not over 8 mm. 



V. Onthophagus. 



I. Canthon Hoffm. 1817. (Gr., ' 1 a kind of beetle. ") 



Black or bronzed insects often seen along country roads and 

 pathways, rolling balls of dung from place to place, hence popularly 

 known as " tumble-bugs. " The balls are rolled often to a consider- 



