Species of Trox (6+spp--punctatus, aequalis, unistriatus, tuberculatus, foveicollis, hamatus) have been collected in carrion baited pitfall traps. They are scavengers of desiccated carcasses.
Members of this subfamily are dung provisioners and are commonly taken in pitfall traps. Canthon nigricornis provisions with deer pellets and is ubiquitous and abundant especially in drier old fields. Copris tullius is a larger beetle, the male with a horn on its head. It has been taken from a few fields. Onthophagus hecate and the purple O. janus are common woodland inhabitants. O. nuchicornis (black and white) is an uncommon species of fields.
Choeridium histeroides reported for Minnesota, but not collected at Cedar Creek.
Perhaps six undifferentiated species of Aphodius and six species of Ataenius have been collected. They are dung feeders but do not provision. Dialytes striatulus found in Minnesota, but not collected at Cedar Creek.
The red Eucanthus lazarus has been collected at light. Species of Geotrupes (3 spp--splendidus, blackburnii, semiopacus) feed on dung, carrion, or fungi in decaying logs. They are readily taken in carrion baited pitfall traps. A single specimen of Bolbocerosoma sp collected by Larry Louisiana.
This subfamily includes the June Beetles (Phyllophaga ca 5+spp.). Larvae of this subfamily feed on the roots of grasses and other plants. Adult June Beetles feed at night on flowers and foliage and readily come to light. One specimen of Polyphylla sp collected at light. Serica (3spp--tristis, sericea, carinata?) and Dichelonyx (3+spp--albicollis, subvittata, testacea) are uncommon species of savanna and woodland. Macrodactylus subspinosus, the Rose Chafer, is abundant on many plants in June. Hoplia (2 spp--trifasciata, modesta) are most frequently encountered at Prunus/Amelanchier blooms in late spring. A single specimen of Diplotaxis sp collected.
Larvae of this subfamily also feed on plant roots. Adults feed on foliage or fruits. Anomala binotata is sometimes common in spring and fall in weedy fields. A second species of Anomala taken in the Biodiversity Gardens in June 2000. Strigoderma arboricola is an abundant often aggravating species (crawling into one's hair) of early summer. Cotalpa lanigera, the Goldsmith Beetle, is a relatively uncommon large yellow Scarab. Pelidnota punctata found in Minnesota, but not collected at Cedar Creek.
Aphonus tridentatus is a common species taken in pitfalls primarily in mesic-grassy fields. Larvae feed on plant roots. Genera found in Minnesota but not collected at Cedar Creek include: Ligyrus, Xyloryctes, Strategus...
Two species of Euphoria have been collected. Larvae of these species are reported to live in decaying wood, but I suspect that some live as scavengers in ant nests (primarily those of Formica obscuripes). E. inda (yellow with black flecks) is commonly seen buzzing over Formica mounds in spring. On descending to the mound it is immediately covered by ants. E. fulgida (bright green) is much less common and is generally found at Prunus or Amelanchier blooms in the spring. Stephanucha pilipennis (black with orange markings) is an early spring species seen flying over sandy roads. It too appears to be associated with ants. Trichiotinus assimilis and T. piger? are common on Rubus flowers. Osmoderma eremicola is a fairly common large brown Scarab found in rotten logs. Cremastochilus knochi and Gnorimella maculosa found in Minnesota but not collected at Cedar Creek. I thank Matt Paulsen (U/Nebraska, Lincoln) for identifying the Stephanucha which I erroneously identified as a Euphoria in an earlier version of this Webpage.
|firstname.lastname@example.org||Last updated 26 March 2001|