SCARABS Va’s hoté, tey yenar ahey

Occasional Issue Number 16 June, 2005 Mr. Fall & Me WITHIN THIS ISSUE By Arthur V. Evans H. C. Fall...... 1 1600 Nottoway Avenue Richmand, VA 23227 U.S.A. Collecting Trip Archive... 7 [email protected]

Fall’s Diplotaxis Names.... 8 During a field trip to southeastern Proof Reading Scarabs... 13 Arizona in the summer of 1974, it hit me like, well, a ton of . It The Great Dung Debate 14 was then and there that I decided to Latin America Scarab focus my life-long fascination for Meeting...... 16 on just one group: beetles. A year later my passion for beetles became even more finely tuned. I wanted to work on scarab beetles. But my newfound passion for scarabs wasn’t just about collecting beetles. I wanted to know everything about them, their distributions, relationships, and natural histories.

At the time I was employed as a student worker at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. There I could indulge my curiosity, not only by scanning one The Doctor In All His Glory of the largest collections in California, but also by poring over the scarab fauna of California and EDITORS the museum’s fabulous library, Arizona. replete with tomes and scientific Rich Cunningham [email protected] journals, many of which date back to As my research progressed and my the mid-1800s. I was free to wander collection of scarab papers grew, Barney Streit the stacks at will to peruse, choose, the names of certain coleopterists, barneystreit@hotmail. and photocopy articles of interest. As beetle workers to the uninitiated, com a denizen of the southwest, I decided kept coming up again and again. Bill Warner that it would be most prudent to LeConte, Horn, Casey, and Fall. [email protected] narrow my literature searches to They were all long gone, but their writings were still fresh and know more about him, I tracked compelling, as if they had only down a copy of Arnold Mallis’ recently been written. “H.C. Fall, American Entomologists, where I Tyngsboro, Mass.” always caught found a portrait of Fall and a brief my eye because of the name of the biography. The black and white town where he penned his papers. picture revealed to me a handsome, But later I came across some of his grandfatherly, and mustachioed earlier works addressed in “Pasadena, gentleman with kind, yet somewhat Calif.” That was quite literally much tired eyes. His short-cropped hair closer to home. was white, parted to one side, and worn high on his head. According Nestled in the west end of the San to the biography Fall was born in Gabriel Valley, Pasadena is just Farmington, New Hampshire in north of Los Angeles and on the 1862, the son of Orin Tenney Fall eastern edge of the Arroyo Seco. and Mary Ann Hayes Fall. He was This seasonal river basin flows out interested in nature at an early age, of the San Gabriel Mountains to the a pursuit encouraged by his mother. north and is better known to millions His only sibling, Katharine, recalled of college football fans as the home that his beetle collection literally of the Rose Bowl. Upstream lies the began when her brother found a Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where longhorn beetle at the age of 16. scientists and engineers use the latest Thus was the genesis of what would technologies to remotely control become the largest private beetle robots on Mars. But in the early collection in the United States, with days, the Arroyo was only sparsely over 200,000 specimens representing populated with homes, farms, and about 15,000 species from America, orchards. The not-so-insignificant north of Mexico. patches of natural riparian woodland and chaparral that remained were the Mr. Fall attended public schools in happy hunting grounds for many a Dover before entering Dartmouth bug collector up through the early College in 1880. He graduated part of the last century, including at the head of his class in 1884. Fall. Today, only with considerable After a brief stint teaching high effort, you can find remnants of these school mathematics and physics in habitats along roadsides and among Chicago, Fall was forced to move to the patchwork of tiny green spaces California for health reasons in 1889. that are peppered along the canyon There he took up teaching chemistry bottom. and physics, first at Pomona High School, and then later at Pasadena While earning my Bachelors and High School. At Pasadena, Fall Masters degrees at California served as the head of the Science State University, Long Beach, I Department, a post he held until learned that Mr. Fall was one of the his retirement in 1917. He returned greatest American coleopterists of to New England in 1918 and lived all time. He described nearly 1,500 the rest of his life with his sister new species, many of them from Katharine, and her husband, Carl Page  California and the west. Curious to Adams Richmond. I wish I could have seen Southern California pulled out the drawers of the main through Fall’s eyes, before the beetle collection and found beetles valleys and coastal plains were from Fall’s collection segregated completely sealed over in asphalt from the others in color-coded and concrete. Much of the native trays. Each of Fall’s beetles was coastal chaparral, riparian and oak meticulously mounted and labeled. woodlands where he and others This did not surprise me since all of collected insects has long since his papers were also written in the been replaced with all manner of same careful manner. exotic plantings that are of little or After moving to Richmond, Virginia no use to native beetles and other in 2000, I began working with Jim insects. Hogue to develop a book proposal for the University of California From the 1980s to nearly the end Press. An Introduction to California of the last century, Mr. Fall and his Beetles, published in 2004, provides beetles drifted in and out of my life. an overview of the state’s beetle While director of the Zoo fauna and their study, including brief at the Natural History Museum of biographical sketches of some of Los Angeles County, my nascent the coleopterists who worked in the In the It’s A Small World interest in the history of entomology region, including Mr. Fall. He was Department, Editor Barney in Southern California began to take the first resident of California to was born in Pomona; his hold. In August of 1999, on my way make significant contributions to our father attendend Pomona to Ottawa, Canada, I stopped in understanding of the state’s unique High School. Cambridge, Massachusetts to pay a fauna. A correspondent and friend visit to the Entomology Department of George Horn, Fall was a direct of the Museum of Comparative link between the very beginnings Zoology at Harvard University. of American coleopterology and The insect collection there is a the researchers of the 20th century. touchstone for many entomologists And, he knew the Coleoptera of studying North American insects. America north of Mexico as few And it is the holiest of holy places have known them or, in this day for beetles in North America. of specialization, ever will. But Here were the collections of John his most lasting contribution was LeConte, the father of American that through an impressive list coleopterology, and George Horn, of publications and prodigious LeConte’s friend, colleague, and correspondence, Fall inspired dozens successor. Mounted on the wall of his contemporaries, amateurs of the Coleoptera Department is a and professionals alike - as well as large portrait of Fall, the same one countless students of entomology that accompanies his biography - right up until his death. I was in American Entomologists. inspired by him as well and wanted Here, too, was his collection. Fall to know more about his life, his bequeathed his beetles and other influences, how and where he insects to Harvard where he had worked, and his travels across the spent so much time comparing his United States and Canada. But the specimens to the types of LeConte, format of the California beetle book Horn, and others. One by one I and other pressures dictated that I Page  Henry Clinton Fall (1862-1939) would have to wait for another time displacement behavior. I started a to explore the life of this interesting new project! And what could be and productive man. more rewarding than settling in on a project that probably had few In December of 2004, feeling prospects for generating any kind the weight of looming deadlines of remuneration! Nevertheless, I of several book projects, I did needed to sate my curiosity about what anyone would do who Fall’s life and entomological Page  is prone to chronic bouts of work and delve beyond the well- chosen words written of him by little and nothing I did not know his contemporaries after his death. already. Even on the Museum of What was his childhood like? Comparative Zoology’s website, What did he study in school and there is barely a mention of Fall, at college? Why did he study to except for a short paragraph to say become a teacher instead of an that his important beetle collection entomologist? Why did he choose is deposited there. In spite of the to teach in Chicago? What was enormity of his contributions and the health issue that drove him influences in American entomology, to southern California and what there is little to be said of him did he do there for nearly three on the web with regards to his years before resuming his teaching entomological work. So I decided to career? Where did he live while change tack and pursue aspects of in southern California? Did any of his life before beetles and his work the places he worked or collected as a high school science teacher. My still exist? What might his journals obsession was born. and correspondence reveal about the man himself? And, I wanted I reread Mr. Fall’s obituaries, penned to explore a possible family by such entomological luminaries connection. My grandfather, Arthur as Philip J. Darlington, John D. T. Evans, attended Pasadena High Sherman, Jr., E. Gorton Linsley, and School during Fall’s tenure and Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell. may have had him as a chemistry They all included the usual or physics teacher. These were just biographical information, along some of the questions I wanted to with a few other interesting facts. answer about Mr. Fall. For example, Fall became a Charter Member of the Entomological But I wanted instant gratification, Society of America in 1906. In so my first stop was the internet. 1910 he was one of 16 American I Googled Fall’s name, expecting entomologists selected as members to find at least a short paragraph of the Permanent Committee of or two on the scarab worker’s the International Congress of directory hosted by Team Scarab Entomology. In 1917 he served at the University of Nebraska. But as second vice president in the there was nothing. I quickly dusted Entomological Society of America off an early draft of the brief text and was on the editorial board for I had written about Fall for the the Annals from 1915 to 1917. He California beetle book, reworked became a Fellow of the American it, and sent it off to Brett Ratcliffe Association for the Advancement of for inclusion on the directory. Then Science in 1927, and was awarded I went back to Google and entered an honorary Doctor of Science from every permutation of Fall’s name: Dartmouth College in 1929. Fall was Henry Clinton Fall, Henry C. Fall, also elected Fellow of the American Henry Fall, H.C. Fall, and H. Fall. Academy of Arts and Sciences in I even tacked Mr., Dr., and Prof. 1930. All of these honors were at the beginning of each of these richly deserved but did not enhance combinations, but still found very his reputation, for he was already Page  known and respected throughout the veteran who made shoes and served entomological world. in the New Hampshire legislature. The dam had broken! Tucked away among these facts and dates were other bits of information As I piece together the puzzle of that revealed the man behind the photos, correspondence, articles, and beetles from the perspectives of other records to recreate a life that longtime friends, colleagues, and began more than 140 years ago, it students. These provided clues that becomes readily apparent that the led to new and fruitful avenues of personal life of Mr. Fall is just as research through Fall’s immediate compelling to me as his work as a family, and his professional and coleopterist. Born during the Civil institutional associations. I sent War, the product of a broken home, simultaneous inquiries to the and plagued by various physical libraries in Farmington, Pomona, infirmities throughout much of his Pasadena, Dartmouth College, and life, Fall’s keen intellect propelled Harvard University. I also contacted him at an early age to begin various historical and genealogical amassing the largest beetle collection societies in southern California, in the country, an endeavor that Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. brought him into contact with every important coleopterist of the day Within days the responses starting and established his reputation as pouring in from archivists, an internationally known scientist. historians, and librarians. In just His continually growing beetle over a week’s time I had pictures of collection would serve as the basis Fall at age 22 taken for his college for his studies of the beetle fauna commencement in 1884. There was over an entire continent for 44 years. another photograph of him taken 10 Yet, no museum or university ever years later with the ninth grade class employed him. Instead, he conducted of Pomona High School. I had never this work only during his spare seen him before as a young, clean- time while he attended to a 30-year shaven man. Census records traced long career as a high school science the movements of Fall and his family teacher. However, his labors and from 1870 to 1920 and revealed the contributions did not go unnoticed divorce of Fall’s mother and father by his alma mater or the scientific sometime in the 1860s. Cemetery societies of the day. records and a family genealogy established that Orin had been After his retirement from teaching married previously to Mary Ann’s in 1917, Fall continued to publish, older sister and that she had died of curate, and identify specimens sent complications from childbirth. From to him for determination and he Dartmouth College came copies of remained active in these endeavors pages from his expense books, and almost to the very end. Among my his thesis, along with pictures of researches, I found a letter from his Fall posing with his baseball team. sister, written one week after Fall’s An obituary of his father, dated June death, to his close friend, John D. Page  1903, recounts the life of a civil war Sherman, Jr. In this letter, now part of the Smithsonian Institution’s Cunningham, Dr. Art Evans, Ph.D. archives, she recalls that her and Barney Streit met at Rich’s Editor’s Note: The late brother’s health had been failing home for a trip to Glamis. After cerambycid collector steadily for several months. On much in-fighting and belly-aching, it Josef Beierl suggested creating a log of notes the last evening of his life at the was decided that Josef, who brought for each collecting Richmond home in Tyngsboro, Fall more crap than the other three trip for the purpose of suggested a game of Parcheesi with combined, would have to sit in back remembering details that his sister and her husband, Carl. with Rich, with Barney driving. The would otherwise be easily The game was left unfinished as entire first leg of the drive consisted forgotten. This was done exactly once, for a trip to the couple thought that Fall should of Art whining that we just had to the Algodones Sand Dunes get some rest. He did not feel up to stop at In-and-Out. After a nice lunch near Glamis, California. climbing the stairs to his room. The at Fosters in Indio, the odd crew We were less wise back Richmonds offered to carry him, were stopped by the Highway Patrol then, in that we drove Rich but Fall decided he could make it for driving an unregistered vehicle, Cunningham’s Bronco. It seems appropriate to on his own after all. Halfway up also known as “cunninghaming.” His reproduce “Once Upon A the stairs, Fall collapsed and had three buddies watched and listened Trip to Glamis” here and to be carried the rest of the way. A in amazement as Rich sweet-talked now. doctor was called, but it was already his way out of yet another tight jam too late. He died an hour and a half with the pretty lady CHP officer. later, on Tuesday, November 14, 1939 at 9:45 PM. The cause of death Lighting at Glamis yielded precious was reported as “valvular heart few cerambycids and scarabs, so disease of many years standing,” the crew drove to “the pit” where with a bout of bronchitis listed as they were to spend the night. A deep “contributory.” He was 76. philosophical discussion was held about the higher things in life: God, I suspect that my overwhelming UFO’s, Josef’s vision of the perfect curiosity about Mr. Fall is driven woman, and the human mating mostly by a desire to understand ritual. A cigar smoking contest was how this indefatigable man dealt then held. At first, it appeared that with all of life’s uncertainties and the fact there were only five Swisher Josef Beierl in 1991 inevitable disappointments to create Sweets to go around would put a a legacy that survived well beyond severe constraint on the contest. his own life. His elegantly written This proved to be untrue. After one scientific papers and correspondence cigar, Rich nearly hit his head on the reveal his intense level of dedication truck bumper, Josef started babbling to a life-long avocation. It would in German and Barney became have been an incredible privilege catatonic. Art hogged the fifth, and to know him, bask in his great last cigar to win going away. knowledge of natural history, and share our passion for all things Because Art won the contest, Barney beetle. graciously stopped at In-and-Out on the way home. Art drew a crowd as he gamely downed two Double Trip Archives Double burgers in one sitting. The odd foursome had mysteriously On September 26, 1992, the odd disappeared when the Press arrived. foursome of Josef Beierl, Rich Page  What’s In A Name? Dispatches from the Diplo Desk - Part 1 by Scott McCleve 2210 E. 13th Street Douglas, AZ 85607 [email protected]

Taxonomists are a bit obsessed short), I have had cause to reflect by names. We have to remember on the many names of the included so many—and spelling counts. species. Not much levity that I Now and then we are called upon detect in the names, no jokes, no to create new ones for new taxa. apparent insults, few idiosyncrasies Then, we have to remember those apparent for the authors—except too. And our friends (and others) Blanchard seemed to really like keep creating more for us to learn looooong names, including one and remember--it just never ends. of 14 letters; and a recent author Some of this naming is just, well, of dip species just had to go and perverse; I am thinking about create another 14-letter name. a semi-unpronounceable name Thanks to the redoubtable Art created by one of our editors. Evans, we now have a sanctified Editor’s Note: Would that be Copris and authorized list of all the New maclevei? World Melolonthines (for which I suspect he thought he was to be At odd moments possible new paid by the pound of the printed names for new species awaiting version). Ed. Note: Art’s Catalog christening occur on the periphery can be downloaded for free from: of the consciousness of one needing www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ to coin new names. And now and 2003f/z00211f.pdf . I found 288 then a particularly bold soul will Diplotaxis proposed names (but have a little fun—witness the recent I could be wrong, the number bunch of Gelae species-- “Jelly- keeps increasing with every belly” and “Jelly-donut” and other count, kind of like the Turkestan such combinations created recently cucurachas in my compost pile), in a jocular fashion by workers including varieties, synonyms, in one of the lesser families. whatever--but not including names (Coleopterists Bulletin 2004, proposed a second time [nomena 58:466-487) segundums?]—as Robinson’s fulva or Blanchard’s frondicola. (How As someone overwhelmed by the many of our fine editors, not to plethora of names—for species mention our readers, did a little or varieties--created over the 168 twitch of anticipatory hellish years since the creation of the delight, yelped “I knew it!” and genus Diplotaxis (hereafter “diplos,” went to their dictionary to look up Page  for short—or “dips,” for really “redoubtable”? It is not for nothing Scott With His Beloved Diplotaxis that Art is redoubtable. Some of us letters, one doubled. One syllable, need to work on our vocabulary.) pronounceable in many languages, but unfortunately, not so in The almost infallible Patricia Spanish. (OK, you try it.) Fall is Vaurie leads with the 65 names she responsible for 61 of 288 names, or proposed in her revision. (Also, 21% of the total (actually 0.2118055 she earlier proposed with second is as far as my calculator goes on author Cazier, 13 other names— this issue). giving her a total of 78 names.) Over the years it slowly dawned A not distant second is Henry on me that Fall used the letters of Clinton Fall (1862-1939), who his name abundantly in the names proposed a total of 61, by my he came up with for dips. I used latest count: 53 in 1909, and 8 in the word “slowly” advisedly. I used 1932. (All other authors are also- to be fairly swift, but decades of rans, including LeConte, who staring at dips takes its toll on the created 30—but LeConte has neurons. Also, the years are piling pride of place in having created up. I taught remedial reading to the only synonyms for the genus high school kids for way too long. Diplotaxis—3 of ‘em.) Most of And, I am no longer able, for Fall’s species are found, in at least instance, to run down, on foot, part of their ranges, in the U.S. my wiener dogs. Slowing down….. or Canada. So, when I started Where was I? determining species about 30 years ago, mainly U.S. species at first, I Oh, yes—thanks Dear. (You naturally noticed how often Fall perhaps should know my wife, was the author of these species. Annie—many of you know Annie- It’s a nice short simple name, three -is editing this for me before it gets Page  to certain other…..um…..editors, rufiola, schaefferi and semifoveata. and waking me up from time to So, the actual number is close to time. She is also the only currently double the expected number. An living person for whom a diplo A+. was named. Betcha can’t name the Editor’s Note: Would it be other species that is a patronym for Before we go on, I would like to Diplotaxis persisae Cazier, an Arizona woman.) Back to Fall bring up the ethics of insinuating named for the wife of and his diplo names. Like I said, one’s own name into the taxa he Frank Parker? over the years I noticed certain is describing. At first, this seems things, and I eventually developed reprehensible, selfish, egotistic, some--like, tests—to check if Fall self-important (one colleague was doing something funny with suggests crypto-compulsive- his diplo names. Please keep in narcissism for such behavior). I mind that Fall created 21% of diplo looked at Fall’s names for his four names—saying it out loud a couple species of Ochodaeus and counted times may help you through what the following: “f”=0; “l”=0; “a”= follows—21%, 21%--like that. We 4. It seems like he went out of his will consider the letters of Fall’s way to avoid the consonants in name in sequence, i.e., “f” then his name, and used the vowel, “a,” “a” then “l”. Plus “ll”. And then all 3 about as often as necessary. So, letters together. why the contrast with Diplotaxis? I believe that he probably meant Test 1: How many names start with the recurrence of the letters of his an “f”? And what percent of these name as a mnemonic device to were proposed by Fall? I count 14 assist future workers—including names that begin with an “f.” So, myself—in memorizing which 21%, or 2.94—round up to 3.0-- names he authored. That would be of those we would expect to be helpful in such a monster genus Fall’s names; this test passes, but as diplos, but of negligible help in not by a convincing margin, as 4 Ochodaeus. (The only Fall papers I names (29%) that begin with “f” are possess are the 2 on Diplotaxis, and Fall’s names: fimbriata, fissilabris, the 1 on Ochodaeus.) fossipalpa and futilis. Maybe he did not want anyone to catch on to his Test 3: How many names contain ploy too quickly? This test passes at least one “a,” like the “a” in Fall? with maybe a B-, maybe a C+. (Time out while I count these—this Hmmm? Could I be just full of….. is getting kind of tedious.) There um…..it? are 178 diplo names using the letter “a” one or more times, in any Test 2: How many names contain position. Of these Fall created 39. an “f” but do not begin with that We expect just as an average that letter--and how many of these are he would have created 21% of the Fall’s names? I count 17 names with total, or 37 names. So 39/178=22%, an interior “f.” So, 21% of these—or or just a little over expectations about 3.6—should be Fall’s names; if he were ignoring this letter of actually, 6 of these names are his name. This looks like he was Page 10 his: belfragei, conformis, confusa, ignoring this vowel—give this test a DNA, for “Does Not Apply.” we would expect him to have named 21% of all the 21 names Test 4: How many names contain containing an “ll,” or 4.4 names-- a single “l” with or without others? whereas he has actually named 9 of There are 91 such names, 73 by 21, or 43% of all such names. That other authors, and 18 by Fall: is a little over double what one atlantis, belfragei, fissilabris, would expect. This test passes with fossipalpa, levicoxa, futilis, lengii, an A+. (Please note that Saylor levicosta, mentalis, peninsularis, named a dip for Fall himself [to parallela, pinalica, planidens, wit, “falli”]. It hardly seems fair to polita, pumila, rufiola, cephalotes count this name and lower Fall’s and sulcatula. Since there should percentage, but what is one to do? be 19 of these names created by It’s bad enough that D. falli Saylor Fall (21% of 91), this test comes is a synonym. Shouldn’t there be out almost exactly as chance would a diplo species named for Fall? dictate: 18 (20%) vs. an expected Maybe there is, in a sneaky kind of 19. I do not know what this way—see test #7 below ). means—my statistics class never got that far, or I forgot. I think Test 6: Let’s see who has been this test gets a DNA: “Does Not paying attention: what do all of Apply.” That’s my story, and until these 13 names have in common? something better comes along, I Belfagei Fall, falli Saylor, femoralis am sticking to it. Vaurie, fissilabris Fall, flexa Vaurie, fossipalpa Fall, frondicola Test 5: I think the first clue that (Say), frontalis LeConte, fulgida I had that Fall might be doing Cazier , fulva (LeConte), pilifera something funny with his choice of (Burmeister), rufiola Fall, and letters was the double “l”—it seems superflua Vaurie? You probably to have been my semiconscious noticed that all 13 contain all recognition that his name contains three letters of the name “Fall.” this “ll” and many diplo names also Five of these are Fall’s names, or 4 contain it. I began to suspect that out of 13. That is 31% rather than this might be a way he inserted the expected 21%. However, if we his own name piecemeal into the discounted those five published names of the beetles themselves. In after 1909, when Fall published alphabetical order, Fall described all five of his, then his percentage these “ll” species: densicollis, would be 4 out of 8, or 50%. It dentella, illustris, marginicollis, kind of gives one pause; but a misella, parallela, parvicollis, moment’s reflection brings the villosa and villosipes (9 names). realization that with time, all of Other authors were responsible these percentages, generally in for brevicollis, transversicollis, favor of the inference that Fall cribraticollis, foveicollis, falli, deliberately used the letters of his hallei, impressicollis, metallescens, name in naming his diplos, will nitidicollis, puncticollis, rockefelleri fall lower and lower in the future. and simillima (12 names). Since Conversely, if one were to go back Fall created 21% of diplo names, and recalculate the figures for Page 11 these several tests, and discount in a future dispatch—(unless all names coined after the last Fall enough friends beg me not to). name in each set, Fall’s percentages For those who like homework, would rise. For example, the grade see Fall’s 1909 description—p. for this test today is perhaps a B, 67—and Vaurie’s remarks--Part 1, but in 1909 it would have been a p. 366-368, especially p. 368; and solid A+. Fall’s 1909 remarks on LeConte’s D. tenuis, p. 91-92; and Vaurie’s Test 7: True or false?—Fall never remarks on same—Part 2, p. 413, named a species after himself. and you will have the whole thing You may have noted the species, before you. Then, if you like Latin, Dipotaxis falli , mentioned above and crave punishment, you can under test 5. But that is a Saylor, see what LeConte had to say in his not a Fall, species. (Incidentally, 3-line description of tenuis and Fall lived to see this 1935 patronym one paragraph of English remarks published, and Fall was about in vol. 10, p. 47, of the splendid 21 years dead when Mrs. Vaurie LeConte papers prepared by Alan synonymized it under insignis Hardy. LeConte.) So, one might expect that the assertion that Fall never Let’s just pause to summarize named a species after himself our tests: #1=B- or C+; #2=A+; is true. But that assertion could #3=DNA; #4=DNA; #5=A+; #6=B; be flawed. Consider the species #7=A+. The preponderance of Diplotaxis cephalotes Fall, 1909, evidence seems to support the based on a single specimen. Do thesis: Fall used the letters of his you see it? Or rather, do you hear own name to coin the names of his it? Say the species name out loud: Diplotaxis species and varieties. seh-fal-O-teez. How about that And some of these scores would be second syllable? Spelled “phal” more impressive if the calculations but pronounced “fall”! Could the had been made as of 1932 when Fall sound-alikes phal and fal just be bid his adieu to the genus, before all a coincidence that Fall himself the Vaurie and Cazier and others’ did not even notice? A distrust coinages diluted his influence. of coincidence is proverbially sagacious. So, opting to be among Fall seems not to have been a loud the sagacious, let’s say: Has to be an or pushy or self-important fellow. A+. Was he a trickster? Any kind of eccentric—other than having a By the way, the convolutions of certain attraction to this difficult inferences and possibilities tangled and unpopular genus? Not that up with this cephalotes—the name, I know of. But the several tests Fall’s own name, the specimen above suggest a certain degree itself, an earlier LeConte species, of deviousness, a playfulness, a the collector who sent it to Fall, gentle degree of inserting himself the bogus locality, and whatever into posterity—perhaps to help unexplained accident that befell his benighted followers into diplo Page 12 the unique type--will be revisited systematics to learn and remember the authors of the hundreds of species—even if they do not realize why they remember which species he authored. Was there a quiet smile, maybe a private inaudible chuckle, a sympathetic nod to How This Newsletter Is Edited his unknown-unborn-unnamed colleagues in posterity while he Hear at the corporate offices ofScarabs , we have penned some of these names? been deluqed with a litany of inguires regarding are It would be so nice to think so. editorial process. “How can their be no typographical or Would it have helped if a certain grammatical errors, especially considering who the three other author preferentially used editors our?” the consonants “l-c-n-t” for his species? Or if we had names that After an article is submitted, each of the three editors frequently used the consonants “v- compares notes. More often than not, we agree on what r” or “b-t-s” or “c-z-r” or “m-s-r” editorial comments need to be made. Next, the content “or “s-c-h-f-r” or ”d-l-g” or “s-y-l- is laid out on InDesign CS2 on the Mac. Hard copy is r”? How about “b-l-n-c-h-r-d”? If, printed, and the chore of flushing out the last of the on some future occasion, you see errors is left to Editor Barney and his chums from the a new diplo name, purportedly a office. “whimsical combination of letters,” such as Diplotaxis clemvec, don’t Below is an action shot of the actual final editing of be too trusting: it could be another Scarabs 15. crypto-compulsive-narcissist trying to sneak into posterity.

Editor’s Note: Using his almost perfectly developed analytical genius, Scott hopes to contribute an expose on Area 51 for a future issue.

Jennifer, Editor Barney and Sonja At Work

Page 13 The Best Bait Debate: Will It Ever End? by Paul E. Skelley Florida State Collection of Florida Department of Agriculture and Cunsumer Services P. O. Box 147100 Gainesville, FL 32614-7100 [email protected]

dung to collectors seemed a bit risky. (Editor’s Note: not to mention Paul Hard At Work the legal concerns of international at the SEM shipments.) I have never heard of any institution or private collector with a reference collection of droppings. Surely, this product was geared for some other Although rarely appearing in market, maybe to be consumed as print (Scarabs, Occasional Issue a bait for beetles! Numbers 2, 3), a debate continues on what dung is the best to use in I have never used polar bear dung baited pitfalls. Numerous papers before. While I suspected there comment on the issue of dung were no beetles in Florida that beetle preference and specificity. specialized on polar bear dung, I However, easy availability of a good was excited about the possibilities general bait prevails in our choice of using the gift. So, I waited for of substances. I will go no further the peak of Florida’s winter and into the science of scatology, nor set traps baited with the newly continue to argue which bait might acquired attractant. Needless to be best. My purpose here is to give say, I caught nothing. advice about using easily available baits. Next, I took it to Utah and tried it in an alpine habitat that more Knowing that I have interest in closely approximated the subarctic experimenting with different area preferred by polar bears. Here Editor’s Note: the excrements and trapping too, it attracted nothing. Why coleopterist lives in techniques, a recent visitor (who were no insects attracted to this Ottawa shall not be named to protect the substance? After all, don’t bears innocent) brought me a gift stating usually dump in the woods? Surely “I know of your interests, so here even the common introduced is something you have not tried as European species would be bait. Enjoy.” attracted.

I was not aware that anyone was I was actively writing the supplier actually marketing dung of unusual to complain about a faulty product . While the Canadians may when I realized a confirmation of want to increase their national the material’s identity was needed Page 14 productivity, marketing specialty if I wanted to press charges. Close examination of the material itself these before, but where? I finally raised some questions about its realized they could be purchased consistency (a bit creamy on the as chocolate covered nuts. outside with a solid middle) and its aroma (sort of tropical and sweet) Closer examination of the original Editor’s Note: The bait was a bit unusual for something a packaging of the “Canadian Polar Paul prefers, lovingly called ‘Gainesville Gold’, bear might leave behind. Bear Dropping” revealed some fine will never be available for print stating ‘Acajous au Chocolat’ sale as it is known to be Luckily, I have access to laboratory or Chocolate Coated Cashews. explosive and shipping it facilities that do molecular might be considered an act analysis for identification. I figured In the United States there are laws of feco-terrorism with all that is known they could against false advertising. Leave it surely confirm what the substance to a Canadian to sink so low as to was and what animal produced market fake dung to those of us it. The results came back as an “... who might actually buy specialty unidentifiable accumulation of animal droppings. In spite of this complex molecular materials. But, educational and troublesome based on the current literature it experience, I might buy more was probably the sister group to “Canadian Polar Bear Droppings” the scarabs.” It took several days to for festive occasions! recuperate from that bit of news.

With the failure of molecular analysis, few avenues were left to be used in identification. It looked and felt like dung, although it did not smell like any dung I was familiar with. It produced no audible sound, other than the expected ‘plop’ when it was dropped. All that was left was to taste it.

Editor’s Note: This reminds of a well-known poem:

There was a dung baiter named Pete, Who had a quite dexterous Again, here is solid evidence that seat. Mason jar in one hand, not all animal droppings are alike. He could make his “bait” Always be aware of the properties land, After lining my stomach with and origins of your bait. Some are Swirled up like an ice sterilant (a good whisky works more attractive than others, while cream cone treat great), I took a bite. The creamy some are simply marketing ploys to exterior was surprisingly pleasant make a profit. and familiar, while the interior was a bit nutty. I had eaten one of Page 15 VI Reunión Latinoamericana De Scarabaeoidologia Brett C. Ratcliffe Systematics Research Collections W-436 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68588-0514, USA [email protected]

The “almost-every-two-year” Adding to all of this was the meeting of Latin American scarab genuine collegiality of all in workers was held 10-16 October attendance who shared a common 2004 at EARTH University in interest in all things scarabaeoid. the warm Atlantic lowlands of For some, their work was a Limon Province, Costa Rica. beginning Master’s thesis and Previous meetings have been held for others a lifelong, professional in Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, passion. Regardless of age, Colombia, and Brazil. The next experience, or nationality, language meeting is tentatively planned for barriers melted away when talking Bolivia in 2006. about scarabs. Cerveza and Cuba libres each night assisted with The Costa Rica meeting was translations. organized by Bert Kohlmann (EARTH University) and Ángel There were 45 registrants for Solís (INBio), and they did the meeting from 13 countries a spectacular job of making (Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, everything run smoothly and Colombia, Bolivia, Canada, United efficiently. Transportation to and States, South Africa, Germany, from the airport in San José was France, United Kingdom, Spain, provided, and the accommodations, and Belgium). There were 40 food, and the meeting venue presentations (most in Spanish, at EARTH University were some in English) on Monday, outstanding. The facilities at Wednesday, and Friday. PowerPoint EARTH were modern, ultra-clean, presentations accompanied each comfortable, and surrounded by talk. On Tuesday, nearly everyone lush tropical vegetation. Kiskadees went on a field trip to INBio on a greeted you each morning with chartered bus to study collections their song on your walk to the and tour the institute. On Thursday, dining hall, and crickets and there were tours of the very large frogs bid you good evening each EARTH University campus that night . . . well, actually, they were included a banana plantation and advertising for sex, but you get my processing plant (as a banana meaning about the ambiance. And connoisseur, I learned a LOT that what better ambiance for a scarab I did not know) as well as a 400 meeting than to have elephant hectare rainforest preserve. During beetles (Megasoma elephas) flying our several hours of walking in Page 16 to the street lights at night! the preserve, we saw numerous insects, spiders (giant orb weaver LIST OF PRESENTED PAPERS and tarantulas), snakes (including Los Escarabajos Fruteros (, Ceto- a fer-de-lance), lizards, frogs, and niinae) de Costa Rica. monkeys (howler, spider, and Ángel Solís. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad white face). I have been told that a (INBio), Heredia, Costa Rica. couple of insects accidentally fell El Género Canthidium en Costa Rica. into small vials, but I disclaim any Ángel Solís y Bert Kohlmann. Instituto Nacional firsthand knowledge of this. de Biodiversidad (INBio), Heredia, Costa Rica. Biogeografía de los Scarabaeinae de Costa Rica. One night, there was a group Bert Kohlmann, Ricardo Russo, Ángel Solís, Or- dinner at an outdoor restaurant twin Elle, Xinia Soto y Gina Reyes. Universidad EARTH, Guácimo, Costa Rica. in nearby Guapiles where reservations had been made. The El Río Tárcoles de Costa Rica. Una Frontera restaurant was so overwhelmed Biogeográfica inducida por Tectónica de Placas. Bert Kohlmann y Justine Wilkinson. Universi- with the size of our group that dad EARTH, Guácimo, Costa Rica. the evening turned into a comical circus. Conversely, an incredibly La Cápsula Genital Masculina en el Género Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Melolonthi- good farewell dinner was held dae: ); Complejidad Estructural, at EARTH University on Friday, Morfometría y Evolución. our last evening, and it was a Miguel Ángel Morón. Instituto de Ecología, Veracruz, México. memorable occasion with white linen, wine glasses, and silverware Satellite Images as Primers for Dung Beetle table settings in “country club-in- Field Surveys as Means of Forest Management Sustainability Evaluation Tools. the-jungle” surroundings, free bar, Naikoa Aguilar-Amuchastegui, University of excellent food, and tremendous Nebraska, Lincoln, USA. conviviality. Comparación de la Diversidad de Escarabajos Copro-Necrófagos, Ranas y Murciélagos en All participants at the Reunión Bosque de Niebla y Cafetales con Sombra, Vera- received a briefcase, hat and T- cruz, México. Federico Escobar, Jorge M. Lobo, Gonzalo Half- shirt, all emblazoned with the ter. Instituto de Ecología, Veracruz, México. scarab logo for the meeting, printed program with abstracts, Variación Latitudinal de la Comunidad de Escarabajos del Estiércol (Scarabaeinae) en and two CDs with the abstracts, Montañas Neotropicales. participant contact information, Federico Escobar, Jorge M. Lobo, Gonzalo Half- short videos about EARTH ter. Instituto de Ecología, Veracruz, México. University, and photos from the Revisión Taxonómica, Notas de Comporta- meetings. This has to be one of the miento y Relaciones Filogenéticas de Zonoco- best meetings I have ever attended, pris Arrow. Fernando Vaz-de-Mello. Instituto de Ecología, and it sets a high standard for all of Veracruz, México. those to follow. Estudio Filogenético de los Hopliini (Coleop- tera: Scarabaeioidea). Hortensia Carrillo-Ruíz y Miguel Ángel Morón Ríos. Instituto de Ecología, Veracruz, México.

Page 17 Sénsulos Antenales de Hembras y Machos de Cryptomeigenia sp. (Diptera: Tachinidae) como Phyllophaga obsoleta Blanchard (Coleoptera: Parasitoide de Phyllophaga rufotestacea (Moser, Melolonthidae). 1921) (Coleoptera) en Chiapas México. Ángel Alonso Romero-López, René Arzuffi, Concepción Ramírez- Salinas, Cutberto Pa- Jorge Valdez y Miguel Ángel Morón. Instituto checo-Flors y Adriana E. Castro Ramírez. El Politécnico Nacional, Yautepec, Morelos, Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chiapas, México. México. Fauna de Melolóntidos (Insecta: Coleoptera) Caracterización Morfológica de la Terminalia Asociados al Maíz (Zea mays) en los altos de Abdominal de Phyllophaga obsoleta Blanchard Chiapas. (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae). Adriana E. Castro-Ramírez, Hugo Delfín Ángel Alonso Romero López, René Arzuffi, González, Victor Parra Tabla y Miguel Angel Jorge Valdez y Miguel Ángel Morón. Instituto Morón. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. Chiapas, Politécnico Nacional, Yautepec, Morelos, México. México. Eficacia de dos Tipos de Recolecta de Melolón- A Faunistic Survey of the Dynastine Scarab tidos (Coleoptera) en San Cristóbal, Chiapas, Beetles of Mesoamerica. México. Brett C. Ratcliffe, University of Nebraska, Lin- María de J. Méndez-Aguilar, Cutberto Pacheco- coln, USA. Flores, adriana E. Castro-Ramiírez y Concep- ción Ramírez-Salinas. El Colegio de la Frontera Evolutionary Biology of Pachysoma Desert Sur. Chiapas, México. Dung Beetles: Adaptation and Reversals in Adversity. Los Ciclos Reproductivos de Algunas Especies Clarke Scholtz, James Harrison and Catherine de Escarabajos del Estiércol (Coleoptera, Apho- L. Sole. University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South diinae: Aphodiini) de México. Africa. Imelda Martínez Morales. Instituto de Ecología. Veracruz, México. Biología Reproductiva de Eurysternus mexica- nus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae: Eurysternini). Archivo de Autoridad Taxonómica de los Carmen Huerta, Rosario López y Gonzalo Escarabajos Coprófagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaei- Halffter. Instituto de Ecología, Xalapa, Vera- nae, Aphodiinae) de la Región Andina Colom- cruz, México. biana. Luz Astrid Pulido Herrera y Raúl Antonio Rive- Diplogastrid Nematodes on Scarab-Beetles: ros Cañas. Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, Association and Co-Evolution. Colombia. Matthias Herrmann, Werner E. Mayer and Ralf J. Sommer. Max Planck Institute for Develop- Preliminary Phylogenetic Analyses of the Dung mental Biology, Tübingen, Germany. Beetle Genus Phanaeus using Morphological Data. Acantepheira stellata (Walckenaer, 1805) (Ara- Dana L. Price. Rutgers University, New Bruns- neae: Araneidae) como depredador de Phyl- wick, NJ, USA. lophaga spp. (Coleoptera). Cutberto Pacheco-Flores, Adriana E. Cas- Overview of the Anomalini (Rutelinae): Discov- tro-Ramírez, Miguel A. Pinkus y Concepción eries and Difficulties. Ramírez Salinas. Colegio de la Frontera Sur. Mary Liz Jameson. University of Nebraska State Chiapas, México. Museum, Lincoln, NE, USA.

Balance de Nitrógeno por Cuatro Especies de A New Species of Neoscelis Schoch from Jalisco, “Gallinas Ciegas” (Coleotera: Melonlonthidae) México (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoninae). Alimentándose de Composta. Alan D. Mudge, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Richard L. Adriana E. Castro-Ramírez, Concepción Westcott and Felipe Noguera. Oregon Depart- Ramírez-Salinas, Miguel Angel López-Anaya, ment of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon, USA. Ma. Guadalupe Pérez Escobar, Cutberto Pacheco-Flores y Manuel de Jesús Anzueto. El Biodiversidad de los Escarabeidos Saproxílicos Colegio de las Frontera Sur, Chiapas, México. y Fitófagos de los Bosques de Niebla del Sureste Mexicano. Nuevo Registro de Phyllophaga (Phytalus) ru- Estafanía Micó, Beningo Gómez & Gómez fotestacea (Moser) 1918, (Coleoptera: Scarabae- y Eduardo Galante. Centro Iberoamericano oidea) para México y Chiapas. de la Biodiversidad. Universidad de Alicante, Cutberto Pacheco-Flores y Adriana Castro- Alicante, España. Ramírez. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chiapas, Page 18 México. The Scarabs in the Hope Entomological Collec- Análisis de la Composición de los Escarabajos tions: A Neglected Resource? Coprófagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scara- Darren J. Mann. Hope Entomological Collec- baeinae) en Dos Bosques Andinos de Colombia tions, Oxford University Museum of Natural (Serranía de los Churumbelos, Putumayo, History, Oxford, United Kingdom. Cauca y Picos de Fragua, Caquetá) Colombia. Luz Astrid Pulido Herrera. Alexander von Community and Seasonal Differences of Cop- Humboldt, Bogotá, Colombia. rophagic Scarabaeidae in Three Forest Types in the Bolivian Andes. Caroli Hamel, Darren J. Mann, Sebastián Hertzog and Ben A. Woodcock. Hope Entomo- logical Collections, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Medida del Estado de Conservación de Selvas Neotropicales a través del Análisis de la Comu- nidad de Coleópteros Escarabaeidos: El Caso de la Selva de los Tuxtlas, México. Mario E. Favila, Eduardo Galante y Alfonso Díaz Rojas. Instituto de Ecología, Veracruz, México.

Escarabajos Pleurosticti (Scarabaeidae) de la Selva Baja del Bosque Pluvial Tropical, Chocó, Colombia. Jhon César Neita Moreno, Jesús Orozco y Brett Ratcliffe. Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó “Diego Luis Córdoba” Bogotá, Colombia.

Escarabajos Copronecrófilos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) de la Selva Baja del Bosque Pluvial Tropical Chocó, Colombia. Jhon César Neita Moreno, W.D. Edmonds, Helbert olaya Cuesta y Mario Mosquera Zúñiga. Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó “Diego Luis Córdoba”. Bogotá, Colombia.

Diversity and Composition of Dung Beetle Communities on an Andean Latitudinal Gradi- ent in the Bolivian Yungas. Caroli Hamel, Sebastián K. Herzog and Darren J. Mann. Asociación Armonía. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.

A Phylogenetic Análysis of the Oniticellini and Onthophagini (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). Keith Philips. Western Kentucky University, KY, USA.

Sex Attractants and mtDNA: Implications for Discerning Relationships within the Genus Phyllophaga. Paul S. Robbins, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.

Síntesis del Género Vindex (Coleoptera: Pas- Ángel Solís and Bert Kohlmann, salidae) para México y Centroamérica. organizers of the meeting Jack Schuster, Enio Cano, Donald Leiva, Lorena Lobos y Víctor Flores. Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala. All Photos Courtesy of Brett C. Ratcliffe

Page 19 Open air dining hall at EARTH University. Surprisingly, no mosquitos.

Jhon Cesar Neita (Colombia) giving his presentation.

Page 20 Miguel Morón (Mexico), Ángel Solís (Costa Rica) and Francois Génier (Canada) at INBio.

Fernando Vaz-de-Mello (Mexico) and Dave Edmonds (USA) at INBio.

Page 21 Fernando Vaz-de-Mello (left) and Francois Génier in the rainforest preserve.

Eduardo Galante (Spain), Mary Liz Jameson (USA), Estefania Mico (Spain) and Brett Ratcliffe(USA). Page 22 Alan Mudge (USA) with Megasoma friends. He is very happy because he had never held live beetles of this size before. Size does matter.

Carmen Huerta (Mexico) giving her presentation.

Page 23 Stylized sketch of Mary Liz Jameson (USA) by Patrick Arnaud (France).

Megasoma elephas asking for a ride in a conference satchel. Page 24