SCARABS Ef paŏ ópefur, peir vilja koma

Occasional Issue Number 34 Print ISSN 1937-8343 Online ISSN 1937-8351 December, 2008

WITHIN THIS ISSUE Dungers and Chafers –

South African Scarabs..... 1 A Trip to South Africa by Ted C. MacRae Rarest Scarab Stories...... 10 Ted C. MacRae, Research Entomologist In Past Years XVII...... 15 Monsanto Company 700 Chesterfield Parkway West Coenonycha lurida ...... 22 Chesterfield, MO 63017 U.S.A. [email protected] (Home) [email protected] (Work)

“There is always something new to be my primary interest, so I out of Africa.” – Pliny the Elder suppose at this point I must beg forgiveness from the readers of I’ve been collecting for this newsletter for my intrusion a more than a quarter century into this scarab-dominated realm. now, and during that time I’ve As justification, I confess that I’ve had the good fortune to collect in always had difficulty narrowing my BACK ISSUES many places across the U.S. and scope to just one family of beetles Available At These Sites: abroad. For the most part, my (or even to one order of ). In travels have been confined to the fact, treehoppers – of all things – Coleopterists Society Western Hemisphere (not that I were the first insects that captured www.coleopsoc.org/de- fault.asp?Action=Show_ consider this terribly confining!); my taxonomic interest while I was Resources&ID=Scarabs however, some years ago I had studying leafhopper life histories the opportunity to go to South in graduate school. It wasn’t long, University of Nebraska Africa and spend time in the however, before I “saw the light” www-museum.unl.edu/ field during their spring season and started concentrating on research/entomology/ Scarabs-Newsletter.htm (November to December) with beetles. With so many beetles to my friend and colleague, Chuck choose from, I began collecting EDITORS Bellamy. At the time, Chuck all of the favorites – bycids and Rich Cunningham was in the middle of his second tigers and bups (oh my!), scarabs [email protected] stint at the Transvaal Museum and clerids, blisters and clicks. of Natural History in Pretoria, If it possessed elytra of any Barney Streit barneystreit@hotmail. where he was busy assembling manner, I collected it. Of course, com an impressive body of work on a focus that encompassed 25% South African . I, too, of all life forms quickly became Bill Warner consider this family of beetles overwhelming, so I eventually [email protected] colleagues at the Transvaal Museum, mammologist Duncan Macfadyen and arachnologist Paul Bayliss. Our destination for this first week was Borakalalo National Park, located ~60 km north of Brits in North West Province. Borakalalo consists of 13,000 hectacres of acacia and deciduous woodland and open bushveld surrounding the 800 hectacres Klipvoor Dam. Riverine forest lines the banks Photo 1: The author standing next to a termite mound. of the Moretele River, which narrowed my focus even more and, runs through Klipvoor. The thus, settled on woodboring beetles park is touted for its diversity of – first cerambycids and ultimately wildlife – over 350 bird species buprestids. I’ve never lost my have been documented within interest in these other groups, the park (including 11 species of however, and when traveling to eagle), and an enormous variety another country, especially one of antelope and other mammals as exotic as Africa, all bets are off may also be viewed. Considering – I’m back to collecting not only its status as a wildlife reserve, we my chosen specialty but anything would see many such Editors Note: Since we had that looks “cool.” Scarabs are during our visit, but it was the some extra space in the definitely cool, and during my trip vervet monkeys who immediately sidebars, we included a to South Africa, I found myself captured my fascination. few photos of Ted’s prize buprestids. These depict encountering a diversity of colors Watching them comically why Ted traveled to South and forms that were too good to running, jumping, climbing, Africa in the first place. pass up. So I collected them – lots chasing and play fighting was of them, and I’d like to highlight a sight to behold; however, my here a few of the more interesting fascination with them would be experiences I had in finding them. short-lived. More on this later… I’ll fight the urge to talk about the many cool buprestids that I found, After arriving at the park, I could and hopefully my contribution will hardly contain myself – I was not “bump” an otherwise worthy so anxious to start collecting submission by someone who has (Photo 1). We drove through had the good sense to consider the park for a little bit looking scarabs as their first love. for a good spot to pull over and begin the hunt. After finding My trip was to last for two weeks, such as spot, I grabbed my trusty which we divided into two one- beating sheet and began doing week excursions. After spending what I have done so many times a few days enjoying the beautiful before – walking up to a tree, city of Pretoria, we joined Chuck’s giving a branch a whack with the Page 2 handle of my net, and hoping to dozens and dozens of large, green see some prized buprestid laying cetoniines resembling our own on the beating sheet. The habitat green June , Cotinis nitida was ideal for this – dominated (L.), which seemed to be attracted by low, spreading acacias such to the small, white blooms that as Acacia tortilis and A. karoo. covered the tree in profusion. I Buprestids love acacias! I had netted a few of the beetles, which I already learned this in my travels would later determine to represent through the American desert the common savannah species southwest and down into Mexico Dischista cincta (de Geer) (Photo and South America – surely it was 2). Such was my welcome to the same in South Africa. The first Africa, where it seemed the trees Acmaeodera whack yielded nothing – typical. literally are ‘dripping’ with beetles! (Paracmaeodera) Even when collecting is good, viridaenea swierstrae Obenberger. buprestids are never “dripping Over the next several days, I from the trees,” and often one must would collect a nice diversity literally beat dozens and dozens of buprestids, primarily small of trees to really get a good idea species in the enormous genera of the diversity and abundance of buprestid species that are active in a given area. I whacked a few more trees, with similar results. I then spotted one particularly large acacia tree – something about it said, “beat me!” I walked over to it and gave a branch a whack. All at once, it seemed as though the world was exploding! The air was suddenly abuzz with dozens of large, flying insects, whirring and swirling all around me. My first thought in that initial moment of terror was that I had whacked a hornet’s nest – who knew what kinds of deadly, venomous wasps one might encounter in Africa? Instinctively I ducked and started running, but within a few moments I realized that I was not being chased. Cautiously, I sneaked back towards the tree (after stuffing my heart back down my throat) and realized that they were not hornets after all, but instead beetles. I Photo 2: Dischista cincta (de Geer), a common species in looked more closely and saw that the savannah woodland of South Africa. the tree was literally alive with Page 3 Acmaeodera and Agrilus, off of testaceoguttata (Blanchard) these same species of acacia, but (Photo 3), Discopeltis mashona never again did I encounter an (Péringuey), Dolichostethus aggregation of Dischista cincta levis (Janson), Elaphinis like the one I saw on that very first (Micrelaphinis) latecostata day in Africa. I learned to focus Boheman, Mausoleopsis amabilis my attention on certain species (Schaum), Plaesiorrhinella of trees, which included not (Chondrorrhina) trivittata only Acacia karoo and A. tortilis, (Schaum), and Rhinocoeta armata but also two other leguminous Boheman. Particularly abundant trees – Dichrostachys cinerea and were individuals of the speciose Peltophorum africanum – and the genus Leucoscelis, primarily L. combretaceous Terminalia sericea. amethystina (MacLeay) and L. (At this point, I must acknowledge vitticollis (Boheman) – variable the considerable botanical expertise species which I found to be of Duncan, who grew up on South especially fond of the blossoms Africa’s game reserves with his of P. africanum, and a nice series father serving as a game warden. of the all-black Tephraea morosa Duncan knew the identity of almost Schaum were found on flowers Acmaeodera (s. str.) every plant we encountered, and it of T. sericea. I also captured in grata grata Boheman. was quite a treat to have my own flight several specimens of a ‘personal botanist’ on hand to large, robust, black species that I identify whatever plant on which assumed must belong to the tribe I collected a particular species of . This turned out to be beetle.) In addition to the buprestid the large hive beetle, Oplostomus beetles I collected off of these fuligineus (Olivier), more closely plant species, I also encountered related to Cremastocheilus than a dizzying diversity of chafers to true cetoniines and considered such as Clinteroides permutans a minor pest in South Africa due (Burmeister), Cyrtothyraea to its parasitic colonization of bee hives.

Chafers were not the only scarabs I encountered in abundance at Borakalalo, and I’ll give you one guess as to what other scarab group I encountered in abundance at this mammal game reserve. That’s right, dung beetles. Never before have I seen such an abundance and diversity of dung beetles in one spot, but then again, never before have I Photo 3: Cyrtothyraea testaceoguttata (Blanchard) on seen such an abundance of dung! blossoms of Peltophorum africanum. The ground was littered with the stuff – antelope such as gemsbok Page 4 and impala, warthogs, giraffes, and a host of other mammals thrive in the protected confines of the park, and the seasonally dry climate allows their dung to dry quickly and accumulate rather than breaking down and disappearing. It did, however, take a few days before I became aware of the area’s dung beetle diversity. Prior to our arrival in the park, the weather had been dry for some time, and so it remained for the first few Photo 4: Scarabaeus galenus (Westwood). days we were there. I collected a smattering of different dung beetles during that time, but it seemed like they should be more abundant considering the abundance of available resource. Our third day in the park was interrupted by heavy thundershowers that moved through during the afternoon. The next morning, as we arose and begin wandering away from the camp, the air seemed literally abuzz with dung beetles. They Photo 5: Allogymnopleurus thalassinum (Klug) were flying everywhere and individuals fighting over a mammal dung ball. crawling all over the ground, frantically rolling and fighting pushing dung with its forward over the reconstituted pieces of pairs of legs (opposite of what I’ve dung. Big, black scarabaeines seen in any other dung beetle), all proper such as Kheper clericus made their sudden appearance. (Boheman) and Scarabaeus I spent some time watching one galenus Westwood (Photo S. galenus individual excavating 4), the small metallic Phalops a burrow for the prized piece of ardea Klug, the attractive green poop it had snatched (Photo 6). iridescent species Garetta nitens The most impressive dunger that I (Olivier) and Gymnopleurus saw, however, was the enormous, virens Erichson, their darkened flattened Pachylomera femoralis relative Allogymnopleurus Kirby (Photo 7). Looking like flying thalassinum (Klug) (Photo Tonka trucks and sounding like 5), and the tiny little Sisyphus diesel engines from real trucks, costatus (Thunberg), standing tall their low-pitched, rumbling buzz on its elongated hind legs while filled the air as they searched Page 5 ultraviolet light-illuminated sheet.

Back to the vervet monkeys – their cuteness was pure deception, and it wasn’t long before I realized they were nothing more than evil little minions. Every morning they awoke me far earlier than I desired by scampering and chasing each other across the roof of our tent, and they stole any items left in the camp unattended. Our tents had to be zippered shut and the zipper tabs Photo 6: Scarabaeus galenus (Westwood) excavating a tied down to keep them out while burrow. we were away during the day. This worked fine during the first 4 days, but on the last day they managed to loosen the ties and zipper just enough to breach the tent. Things looked amiss when we returned to camp and saw monkey crap all over the porch, and when we went inside the tent we found they had scattered pots and dishes all about, gotten into the food and strewn corn shucks across the floor, and in a final little monkey thumb to the nose, stolen my glasses! To this day, Photo 7: Pachylomera femorata Kirby. I still imagine every now and then some little monkey sitting in a tree among the freshly moistened – wearing my glasses. turds. So loud was the noise caused by the beating of their After a quick two-day return to wings that several times I ducked Pretoria, we again headed north, thinking one was about to collide this time a bit further to the with me. This sudden dunger magnificent Waterberg Mountain super-diversity continued into Range in the Northern Province. the night, as Anachalcos convexus Here we were guests of Susan Boheman, Catharsius sp., Copris Strauss at her Geelhoutbos farm, elphenor Klug, Metacatharsius where we collected in the bushveld sp., Pedaria sp., Scarabaeus goryi landscape below impressive (Laporte), three species of Onitis, sandstone buttresses. My main Caccobius ferrugineus (Fåhraeus), quarry here was buprestid beetles Digitonthophagus gazella in the genus Evides – large, (Fabricius), and nearly a dozen brilliant-green, heavily-sculptured species of Onthophagus flew to our chalcophorines that must be Page 6 seen to be believed. In this area, two species – E. intersttialis Obenberger and E. pubiventris (Laporte & Gory) – had been found associated with Lannea discolor (related to sumac and poison ivy, but fortunately not toxic). Catching them would not be easy, as they frequented the terminals of the uppermost branches of these tall trees. A long-handled tropics net and lots of patience were mandatory, but persistence paid off, and after several episodes of standing with my neck craned upward (Photo 8) I was fortunate to catch at least a few specimens of each species. A nice variety of chafers were also found in this area, with several Polybaphes balteata (de Geer) being taken on the same Lannea trees as the Evides. One of the most attractive scarabs that I found during the trip was Anisorrhina (Melinesthes) algoensis (Westwood) (Photo 9), Photo 8: The author attempts to capture Evides which was found in numbers on buprestids on upper branch tips of Lannea discolor. flowers of Dichrostachys cinerea. Both sexes, each representing one albinigra Burmeister, and of the two color forms present at Xeloma leprosa (Burmeister). A this location, can be seen in the few individuals of a particularly photo (the male has the elongated attractive species – Myodermum clypeal horns). Plaesiorrhinella rufum Waterhouse (Photo 10) in trivittata was found here also the tribe Trichiini – were found alongside A. algoensis, and a clinging to dead stems, and the variety of other cetoniines were highly variable species Tephraea taken in smaller numbers by dichroa (Schaum) (Photo 11) – beating various flowering trees and representing three color forms shrubs. These include Amazula (black/orange, purple/orange, and suavis (Burmeister), Clinteroides all-green) – was found abundantly permutans, another Dolichostethus on stems of a presumed Solanum sp. (not levis), Mausoleopsis sp. Only a smattering of dungers amabilis, Niphetophora carneola was seen in the Waterberg, almost (Burmeister), Pachnodella certainly due to much scarcer impressa (Goldfuss), Rhabdotis resource than at Borakalalo that Page 7 consisted almost exclusively of cattle dung. Nevertheless, several species not seen at Borakalalo were seen here, including Onitis fulgidus Klug at lights, and Cleptocaccobius sp., Phalops boschas Klug, and Proagoderus sapphirinus (Fåhraeus) associated with cattle dung.

In reporting on these finds, I must acknowledge the considerable assistance of Dr. Bruce Gill, Entomology Head at the Ontario Plant Laboratories, C.F.I.A., who provided mostly species-level identifications on all of the non- cetoniine material that I collected. The cetoniines were identified by me using the recently published Fruit Chafers of Southern Africa, by Erik Holm and Eugène Marais. This excellent book contains keys, line drawings, beautiful water colorings, distribution maps, and notes on virtually every chafer Photo 9: Anisorrhina (Melinesthes) algoensis (Westwood) species known to occur in Africa on flowers of Dichrostachys cinerea. south of the tropics. As a result, I timidly declare with a fair degree of confidence that my species determinations in this group are mostly accurate (although I welcome any inquiries by readers interested in confirming particular species). Based on these combined efforts, the nearly 500 scarab specimens that I collected represent some 84 species in 54 genera – not bad for a buprestophile using nothing more than a beating sheet, a single ultraviolet light, and his buprestid search image-clouded eyes. Those interested can view a Photo 10: Myodermum rufum Waterhouse clinging to complete detailing of the species dead stem. I collected by visiting my website (http:beetlesinthebush.blogspot. com) and viewing the Afrotropical Page 8 listings in my inventory. I sometimes imagine what additional diversity of scarabs I might have seen had I employed some of the many trapping/ collecting techniques utilized by true scarab lovers – digging up rodent burrows, setting baited traps, and placing a greater number and variety of lights than our single ultraviolet light. But then I look at those gorgeous specimens of Evides interstitialis and E. pubiventris, recall the time that I invested in capturing them, and decided that it was time well spent.

Photo 11: Tephraea dichroa (Schaum) (two color forms) on stem of presumed Solanum sp.

Evides pubiventris (Laporte & Gory).

Fruit Chafers of Southern Africa, by Erik Holm and Eugéne Marais. Aegelia petelii (Gory). Page 9 The Rarest Scarab I Collected Stories

The editors wish to again thank Paul Skelley Snags Two Rare everybody who contributed a Scarabs in Florida story about collecting a scarab that is or was rare, or difficult to Esteemed rag editors, capture. A few sentences for the new story To this day, there are relatively festival on a couple of rare critters common scarabs (Bolbocerastes below, pictures attached. They are comes to mind) with unknown not that exciting. Not like my first larvae. If only we could figure Lucanus elaphus major male I out their biology! Indeed, once collected as a kid, where I jumped a beetle’s biology is known, it about 10 feet from a moving boat becomes common. to a floating dock to get the thing before it flew away. Or the times I climbed trees to get squirrel nests with Auperia denominata Chev. (= Ataenius sciurus Cartwright) and found flying squirrels had taken over particular leaf accumulations. I still have a scar from one of those trees. Or the time I stuck my hand into a recently opened pocket gopher burrow to scrape for beetles and put my finger into the rodent’s mouth. One quick jerk by the rodent followed by another from me, the rodent was airborne and the skin on my fingertip was missing. I don’t know who was more surprised. I later found out that no one has ever been recorded to have been bitten by a pocket gopher in medical history, and chances were good that I did not have rabies. Well, guess that last one won’t work at all as no beetles were collected.

One of the ‘rarest’ ones I’ve All contributors also get this second autographed collected is probably Euphoria portrait of Sonja. discicollis Thompson, which is still known from few localities. Page 10 While we did eventually collect a small series in the southeastern pocket gopher survey, one of the first collections of this species taught us how to collect the rest.

When setting gopher traps, we usually looked for active burrow systems. But on one trip we were forced to work with abandoned burrows. One particular trap ran for 4 months untouched, without catching a single beetle. After the expected beetle season was over I went to remove the trap and found a pair of E. discicollis. Further collecting showed that this ‘rare’ beetle was active well after most other burrow scarabs gave it up for the year! This was an education in burrow faunal seasonality and another case of a rare species not being that rare. Altering how, when, or where we collect is the key to picking up many Two color variations of Euphoria ‘rare’ species. disciollis Thompson.

Another less than exciting story collecting a rare species is the time I picked up the only known female specimen of Anomala exigua (Schwarz). The species was so rare it had even been postulated to be extinct. However, we had recently learned how, when, where to collect the flying males, but females remained elusive. One day, I was sifting for aphodiines in fossil dunes, when a dead specimen of A. exigua came out of the sand. It was obviously A. exigua, but I thought it was a male with broken tarsi. Later examination under a microscope showed the tarsi were only shortened and it was a brachypterus female! That explains why we never found the females flying around. Given that this species appears to be localized, occurs in an Page 11 area under heavy developmental pressures, and that specimens require some work to collect, females of this species may remain rather rare in collections.

Anomala exigua (Schwarz). The male is the specimen on the upper left. The other two photographs depict the female.

Barney Streit Lucks Out Rich was super motivated. Rich entertained Dave and I more than The rarest beetle I ever collected you could imagine. When he took was a female Polyphylla off after a male, his thighs pumped anterionevea Hardy & Andrews up and down like steam pistons. at the Saline Valley Dunes in Yes - up and down - yet, Rich California. This was just pure luck. somehow moved forward! It was Rich Cunningham, Dave Russell amazing. How could legs pumping and I arrived at the site in the early straight up and down move a afternoon. Soon, we saw a male body that size forward - moreover, flying. These are big beetles and fast enough to run down these easy to see, but really fast! Polyphylla?

It was entertaining to see the 6’ A male I chased landed on a dune 6” Dave Russell chase the bugs face. As I lurched onto the sand down with gazelle-like ease. Being to grab him, I saw a mating pair a basketball player, and easily able on the sand about three feet away. to slam dunk, it was easy for Dave We combed the area, but found no to run down these scarabs. The evidence of other females. Then heavy-set Rich Cunningham is we duffed the area the female was built more like a rhinoceros than a taken, again finding nothing. As Page 12 gazelle. Though not as fast as Dave, far as I know, this was the only female ever taken.

That evening, Dave told Rich and I our favorite Doctor Art Evans Ph.D. story. Dave and Kirk Smith, who stands about 6’ 5” drove to a parking lot in Yosemite Park where they were to meet The Doctor. The plan was to spend the night in the lot, then to hike to Miguel Meadows the following morning in search of Licnanthe brachyselis Carlson. Eventually, The Doctor, all 6’ 2” of him, drove up in his station wagon. After meeting Dave and exchanging The male (left) and female (right) of Polyphylla pleasantries, The Doctor retired anterionevea Hardy & Andrews. back into his station wagon for the night while Dave and Kirk slept in their sleeping bags on the ground. for the Mad Doctor, who had 10 After some time had passed, Kirk times the legal limit of adrenaline picked up a pine cone and lofted pumping through his veins! The it into the cool night air... BONK! Doctor got on top of Kirk, not it exclaimed as it crashed onto the only straddling him, but with a roof of the station wagon. After a fierce choke hold around his neck. few more minutes, another missile was launched... BONK!, then “Are you gonna stop?” cried The another... BONK! The Doctor rolled Doctor? down the car window and shouted “Would you guys please STOP it? I “Yeah, yeah, I’ll stop.” chortled need to get some sleep!” Kirk.

“Yeah, O.K.” retorted Kirk, An exasperated Dave is taking whereupon the Doctor rolled the all this in from his sleeping bag. car window back up. However, He can scarcely believe what he after giving The Doctor just enough is witnessing. Finally, after many time to fall asleep, yet another solemn promises to cease and dive-bombing pine cone found desist for the sake of getting some its target... BONK! The car door sleep, Doctor Art returned to his opened, and one thoroughly pissed- car. off Doctor emerged. He grabed the end of Kirk’s sleeping bag and Silence again filled the still night jerked it away, leaving Kirk without air, and Dave started to nod protection. The enraged Doctor off... BONK! went yet another then lunged at Kirk. They rolled pine cone as it found the station around through the pine needles for wagon. That is all that Dave a moment, but Kirk was no match remembers. Page 13 The Elusive Strategus work, I was excited to find and name a new species. Accordingly, by Brett Ratcliffe I followed up on the label data University of Nebraska gathered in February and traveled to Monterrey that same June to try The ultimate attraction is the and collect additional specimens unknown. at the same place and during the Alex Lowe same time. I had an incredible time at my light trap high up on Having collected scarabs since I the mountain in pine/oak forest was 11 years old, I suspect I have overlooking the twinkling lights encountered many “rare” scarabs... of Monterrey below me. I was however rare is defined. I mean, astounded to see moving currents does rare mean uncommon in of light as lampyrids flew in great collections? Does it mean rarely numbers flashing in unison as collected due, possibly, to our less they traversed the mountain side than ideal sampling method or in undulating streams. I’ve not knowledge of the habitat for our seen anything like that since. target organism? Does it mean the Scarab activity at the light was only first discovery of a new species? modest when, at midnight... it was time to shut it down. No Strategus Along those lines, I described howdeni. As so often happens on Aphodius gordoni in 1988 based some of our collecting trips, our upon one specimen taken in target organism is not found, and cow dung and another at lights. we have to be satisfied with the Strategus howdeni But rare? With those numbers, a “experience.” And so it was. The Ratcliffe definite yes. But consider that M. J. experience. Part of that experience Paulsen collected at least 200,000 was vomiting my guts out for 12 A. gordoni at a small light during hours in Texas on the way back to one night in 2004!! Right place at Nebraska. The nice hotel buffet the right time can alter our idea in Monterrey was dishing out of rarity. Or does rare really mean Montezuma’s Revenge, adding there are not many of these animals insult to injury over my failure. actually living in the environment? Like ivory billed woodpeckers. So, one of my rarest scarab collecting encounters was, in fact, I described Strategus howdeni in from a collection and not in the 1976 based upon three specimens field. I suspect many of you have a found in Henry Howden’s collection similar story. But does collecting a during a visit to Ottawa in February rarity from a collection mean it is 1974. Stewart Peck collected two less rewarding than collecting it in of the specimens, while Henry the field? Well, yes. But given that collected a third, all at Chipenque I could not capture any in the field, Mesa just outside of Monterrey, I’ll take the collection route... and Mexico, in June 1969. Since revising not feel sorry about it. A day is not Page 14 Strategus was my dissertation wasted if a memory is made. In Past Years - XVII - 1975 by Henry F. Howden

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A number of the major collections otherwise. Anne and I did not lack of bolboceratines had been sent similar activities, we often saw to the CSIRO for me to work the Brittons, Elwood and Hanna on, eliminating the need to visit Zimmerman, Barry Moore and several places. In addition, Ev other non-coleopterists. We all Britton had gotten some of the agreed that the people we knew in supposed types of the Macleay Canberra were great. scarabs that were previously in Sydney. So, during the cold It was too cold for much collecting. Australian winter months of However, in May we did make April, May and June most of my several trips to or near the coast days and evenings (Photo 1) were where it was considerably warmer. spent identifying and working on At a place called Clyde Mountain keys to the various species in the we had some great lucanid bolboceratine genera. collecting in and under some old logs, and were surprised to find In mid May our two older leaches active under the same daughters, Patience and Barbara, logs. On our only trip to a beach arrived after a week in Hawaii. near Bateman’s Bay we found On arrival in Australia they took a specimen of the uncommon a taxi to overnight in Sydney Aulacopris reichei White dead before coming on to Canberra. in the grass. We never found Delivered to their hotel they others, but we did take a number found that their taxi driver did of Onthophagus and a few other not want U.S. dollars. Instead, he scarabs (and even more weevils). gave them his card and told them However, most of our time was to mail him the fee when they had real (Australian) money. I can’t see this happening in North America and also wonder if he would have done this for older males (me for example)! Barbara had a close friend who’s father was in the Canadian Diplomatic Service and stationed, at that time, in Canberra. All three of our daughters were rapidly involved with the social life of the city via Barbara’s friend. Their only complaint was the Photo 1: Winter sunset at Latham. lack of a telephone; I saw it Page 15 spent working on the CSIRO day was spent there, visiting Eric collection, with occasional lunch Matthews at the museum, then time breaks to turn rocks on Black sightseeing in the afternoon. The Mt. just behind the building where daughters were not enthusiastic, we worked. Ev Britton was a great but tolerant, when we went to help in many ways, but one way the zoo for an hour. We were all was rather unique; he had made a fooled by a cockatoo that said point when he came to Australia to “hello” so clearly that we looked make friends with as many amateur around for a person, only after coleopterists as he could. When a minute or so realizing that it it was nearing the end of our stay was a bird! The next day we flew in Canberra, he suggested that on to Perth, WA, settled into a when we stopped in West Australia motel, visited the local CSIRO (WA), which we intended to do unit and spent the afternoon in July, that we should try to meet with Alex Mahon. He arranged Keith and Edie Carnaby. It was an a car for us for the weekend excellent suggestion, like winning and we collected just northeast the lottery! of Wanerroo. I collected two species of bolboceratine, several The end of June we sold our car Onthophagus and some weevils for $200 less than we had paid for before it started to rain about 3 PM. it - not bad for 13,600 miles driven We spent the next six days in and over a seven month period. We around Perth, collecting, meeting packed up some of the specimens local entomologists and looking at collected and mailed them to collections at the WA Museum, the Canada; sleeping bags and some CSIRO and the WA Department of camping equipment were mailed to Agriculture. the WA Museum. We then packed our suitcases and the five of us left A station wagon was rented from for Adelaide, South Australia. One a used car dealer; $3 per day and 10 cents per mile for the first 1,000 miles, then a reduction of a cent each thousand miles thereafter. We wonder what it would cost now! The drive south to Wilga, hometown of the Carnabys, was through progressively larger trees and a very green countryside. Keith and Edie (Photo 2) greeted us like old friends and easily housed all of us in their old farm house. Both of the Carnabys were rabid beetle collectors and very competitive Photo 2: Edie and Keith Carnaby near their home in when we were in the field. Until we Wilga, WA. came along, their interests centered on buprestids, but all beetles were Page 16 represented in their extensive Rover, which Keith had rebuilt with collection. Keith was an example a larger Ford engine; their camp of what one can do without much trailer was also his own creation. formal education. He made all his He was vindicated in his eyes to call insect drawers, beginning with us city tenderfeet. Hot water for cutting down a eucalyptus tree. the house was furnished by a wood He made his own saw mill, cut burning boiler with a safety valve planks from the cut tree, finished connected to a pipe to the roof. One them, put the drawers together day, wanting a good, hot shower, I and complained that he had to filled the boiler with wood and was buy the glass tops! He took up so successful that I blew hot water photography, decided that getting all over the roof. Keith muttered the color film developed cost too that the roof didn’t need washing much, so he learned how to do and wouldn’t let me near the boiler it himself and then made prints. again! Later he published a book, using his color shots, on the buprestids After three days in Wilga, we packed of West Australia. Several up the trailers with food and water “professional” entomologists from and headed east. We camped 16 eastern Australia tried to stop the miles east of Lake Grace. There we Carnaby’s from collecting dozens collected at least four species of of supposedly rare buprestids by bolboceratines, one of which was getting all buprestid collecting definitely a new species. Keith’s banned in WA unless one had a knowledge of the dirt tracks and permit. This rather backfired; a places to find drinking water law banning collection of “jewel was really impressive and added beetles” was passed. Obtaining a considerably to the time and places permit then became very difficult, where we could collect. The next with lots of red tape. As for the day we went on a dirt track (Photo Carnabys, the governor of WA said 3) 80 miles east of Lake King to a they had helped schools and other institutions learn about insects and, therefore, granted them a lifetime permit to collect anywhere in WA, including all parks! We avoided this problem by being with the Carnabys.

We spent a few days collecting near Wilga, adding several different species of bolboceratines. Keith then borrowed an old Land Rover and a tent trailer from a friend for our use; we then planned a Photo 3: Edie checking depth of water; crossed sticks trip east to go beyond Esperance. mark the place where a caravan was wrecked. The Carnabys had their own Land Page 17 egg of Bolborachium, about three feet deep in sandy soil. A second egg was found near Mt. Madden, but unfortunately neither egg hatched. The weather was mostly good with some rain, usually in the afternoons. While we grumbled about the rain, it made fresh burrows easy to spot. Nights were often cold and black lighting produced almost nothing.

We returned to Wilga on July 25th and regretfully left Keith and Edie the next day, driving in our rented station wagon to Augusta (Photo 4) and the Cape Leeuwin area. The Cape is the most south western tip of WA and, at that time of year, was wet and cold. One day was spent collecting near the Cape before we were rained out. The term “roaring forties” is usually used to describe the weather at the tip of South America, but it seemed to describe the weather the next day (Photo 5) as we drove toward Perth. High winds Photo 4: A kookaburra, the so called laughing jackass. and heavy rain dogged us all the way to Perth, with eucalyptus water supply known as “90 Mile branches in the road making the Tank”. It was literally 90 miles in driving interesting. The next day any direction from the nearest we learned that the winds had settlement. There was a tin roof blown the roof off of a motel at that fed water into the tank, but the the southern edge of Perth! Five outlet was hidden in some bushes days were spent in Perth, packing, 30 or more feet away from the mailing specimens to Ottawa and tank. By ourselves we would never working at the WA Museum. have found it. Most of the area that we drove through was sandy, Our next destination was or packed sandy clay, with some Mauritius, off the African coast. bolboceratines nearly everywhere It was one long flight and when we stopped. At least eight new we landed it was quite a cultural species turned up and 20 miles shock. As soon as we cleared east of Esperance I found a cell customs, we were surrounded containing what I believed to be an by people trying to sell us things Page 18 or offering to take us to various resorts. For a minute I thought we had stopped in India or in a similar country. Finally things were sorted out and we arrived at a beach side resort on the east side of the island. They had no record of reservations we supposedly had made but fortunately had room for us anyway (they were nearly full). The next day was spent loafing, swimming and collecting under bark. At dinner, we met a professor Photo 5: Cape Lewan, WA, and one of the storms that from England who was going we encountered every three or four days along the south to the Sugarcane Institute and coast in July and August. offered to take us along to see the entomologist there. Our daughters plants. When we were there, no were happy to stay behind to swim good solution to this problem had and loaf, while Anne and I went to been found. Fortunately, in the meet the entomologist, a Dr. John native forest there were a few good A. Williams. He was extremely scarabs, including Nesosisyphus, in nice to us and was a great source of the boar dung. information on the natural history of the island. He took us into the While we had been in Australia, the highlands to about 2,000 feet on sister island to Mauritius, Reunion, private roads under control of the had been devastated by a typhoon. sugarcane industry. Level ground A request for aid was made and was mostly sugarcane fields, but Australia sent a shipload of grain along the edges and in the more in response. When we arrived in mountainous parts, there was Mauritius several months later, the some native vegetation, something grain was still sitting in a warehouse lacking along the coast. Even the in Mauritius. Apparently the grain remaining native vegetation was was unloaded in Mauritius, due to threatened. Years before wild lack of facilities in Reunion. No one boars had been imported from there took responsibility for getting Europe and released in the forest the grain to those who needed it, for the enjoyment of hunting so it was sitting in Mauritius being them! Later Chinese Guava was eaten by grain beetles; I guess the introduced in the hopes it would beetles, at least, were happy! This help feed the sugarcane workers. seems to happen all too frequently As usual there were unexpected when aid is sent to certain parts of results; the guava was great boar the world. A total of five days was food, seeds of the guava passed spent in Mauritius and we then flew through the boars and were spread on to Pretoria, South Africa. throughout the forest, the guava seedlings crowding out the native In South Africa we were hosted by Page 19 one for men. Anne was in her line when a lady three ahead of her turned to the one behind her and said “If you don’t mind, please tell me what you were doing digging in that pile of dung”. Needless to say, the one who was asked the question thought the first one was crazy, consternation and apologies followed; Anne had a hard time keeping a straight face and did not enlighten the questioner. Later the same day a car flagged us down and a lady asked Charles if he had Photo 6: Producer of roadside bait, Kruger National seen “the tiger”. He politely replied Park, South Africa. that tigers did not occur in Africa. “Well,” said the lady, “you don’t their Department of Agriculture know what you are talking about and the CSIRO dung beetle unit because my friend told me she saw stationed there. Housing was one an hour ago” and drove off. All provided in a family-type hotel with in all we had an interesting day; institution-type meals included; we that evening we stayed in one of the still remember the “pink” deserts fenced-in compounds (protecting and the trouble that some servers us or the animals?). Nothing came had with our English. During the to the compound lights, but I did week Anne and I worked on the find several small coccinelids on Agriculture collection. Then on a bush. The next day we spent the weekend the CSIRO arranged the morning in Kruger, then for a car and driver to take all of returned to Pretoria. During our us to Kruger National Park. Our stay there Anne and I were invited driver, Charles, was an English to a very formal dinner including entomologist and knew the fauna of officials from the Department of Kruger. It was the dry season, good Agriculture, a Canadian diplomat, for seeing the vertebrate animals, the head of the CSIRO unit and but poor for the insects we were several others. Anne was seated interested in. In the Park people next to our host and during the were told to not leave their cars, but meal asked what was the meat when we saw a fresh pile of elephant being served. There then occurred dung (Photo 6) beside the road, we one of the linguistic problems that stopped for a quick look. While we encountered during our travels. we were poking through the dung, Anne was told that the meat was getting a few aphodiines, a car “venison”. She was puzzled and drove by, the first car we had seen asked “Do you mean deer”? The for some time. Later, at a designated host was rather taken aback and rest stop, there were two line ups said “Well it is rather expensive”! to use the facilities, one for ladies, After Anne explained that to us Page 20 “venison” referred to a North American called a “deer” she was told that we were eating impala (Photo 7). On one of our last days in South Africa we, as usual, visited the local zoo. After an hour or so I wanted to sit down. Since, at that time races were still separated, the benches were marked for “blacks, coloured, whites”, the problem being that I couldn’t find a bench marked for “whites”. I finally found one that was not marked and gladly sat down. All in all, we very much enjoyed our visit and Photo 7: Impala, its meat is called “venison” in South the wonderful hospitality that we Africa. encountered. The ten days we spent there were just too short. supply of large dead snails! We then went to Germany where we had We flew from Pretoria to Zurich, some good general collecting, but Switzerland, with a stop in Nairobi, nothing remarkable. Our daughters, Kenya. I did not try to collect at who often helped us collect, the Nairobi airport, just too many complained that no one stamped guns in sight. We went from Zurich their passports, so how could they to Basil, where we were hosted by prove that they had been to France our entomological friend, Walter and Germany? Life is hard they were Wittmer, for a week. We worked for told. The day spent around Basil much of the week we were in Basil was also interesting. The Danube at the Natural History Museum, flows down one side of Basil, I was but took two days off, one for sorry it wasn’t blue but brown, with collecting, one for exploring the numerous dead fish in evidence. The city. Our collecting trip consisted river had been an old trade route of a quick trip with Walter, first for the Romans and there were well- to France where we collected in a preserved ruins of Roman baths and small forest about 30 miles from a small amphitheater. Basil itself Basil. A small, paved road through had houses dating from the 1300’s; the forest had numerous squashed if repairs were needed, a permit was snails on it and there were a required to be sure nothing was number of Geotrupes stercorosus visually modernized. The Natural attracted to the dead snails. While History Museum also presented I knew that some Geotrupes some surprises. For example, they might rarely come to some types had a good collection of some of carrion, that was a first for families of beetles from Hispaniola me. I regret to say that I have not and they now have the G. Frey subsequently tried dead snails as a collection under their control. It is a bait; it is often hard to find a good great place to look at scarabs! Page 21 It was then time to return to everything. One small girl had the Ottawa, but not without the most stuffing of her teddy bear removed intensive customs search at Zurich and no help was offered to re-pack I have ever encountered. There had luggage that had been emptied. We been a bombing or similar type were glad to get back to Canada! of activity and they went through

Coenonycha lurida Cazier, 1943

Coenonycha lurida (, tribe Macrodactylini) is a common scarab in the desert of Coachella Valley of Southern California. These photographs show it on Ambrosia dumosa (Gray). Some species of Coenonycha are flightless. Species that do fly are seldom attracted to light. Adults crawl up the stems of their foodplant at dusk to feed and mate, and crawl back down into the leaf litter at the base of the plant by dawn. The data are: U.S.A.: California, Riverside County, 8 miles south of Morongo Valley, 24-II-1992. Alan R. Hardy did a short review of this genus in the first issue of Scarabaeus, which can be downloaded from both of the web sites listed on page 1.

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