SCARABS “Hvisdet Lugter, Vil De Komme” Occasional Issue Number 15 November, 2004 Scarabs is Back!!! WITHIN THIS ISSUE As If Life Wasnʼt Bad Enough....Now This! Bad News ........................... 1 Okay, so we haven’t published a and coming face to face with the Bug-Proof Clothes ............ 2 Scarabs newsletter since Occasional drivel and forced humor within Issue 14, dated October, 1998. these pages. By posting Scarabs on Glorious Art ...................... 2 We apologize, but we have been the web, distribution is much more Revised Classifification busy. Editor Rich has been busy efficient. Only those foolish enough of the Scarabaeoidea ........ 3 chasing Phobetus panamintensis to tempt fate would dare to click and planning construction of his on our file. The PDF file containing Scatalogical Ramblings . 11 basement bug room. His stint each issue can be printed at will, if Notable Publications ..... 15 at a pro wrestling (“El Mierdo”) desired. proved to be short-lived when A Collecting Tip for “The Next Big Thing” threw Rich Thanks go to Scarab Central at Bradycinetulus .................16 into the crowd, wrenching Rich’s University of Nebraska for hosting back. Editor Barney was tied up for Scarabs on their web page. Pin Labels, Macs and Mi- crosoft Word ................... 17 awhile in a house-building project, and is building up a huge supply of Another change is that Scarabs About Scarabs ..................17 his “special bait” while praying that is now in color. To celebrate our airport security does not decide to first color issue, we are including Insect Pins ....................... 17 open all containers. Editor Bill has artwork of arguably one of the most Plea for Phanaeus ...........18 been busy on the scarab speaking beautiful scarab beetles on the circuit. It was standing room only planet: Chrysina gloriosa. Now, any at the recent meeting of the Ajo slob can photograph this wonderful Entomological Society, where Bill beast and thereby reproduce its spoke on “The Aquatic Scarab iridescent green body and flashing Fauna of the Sonoran Desert Above silver stripes. But to capture its the Timberline.” The Lep people essence in artwork takes real talent EDITORS loved it. — and was superbly handled by a most gifted and longtime Scarabs Rich Cunningham It has been so long since the subscriber. The Editors remain in [email protected] last issue that we have decided his debt for his contribution. It not Barney Streit printing copies, stuffing them into only spruces Scarabs up, but gives barneystreit@hotmail. envelopes and snail mailing them it an air of legitimacy at long last. com to hapless scarab enthusiasts would be improper, if not downright Kindly flip the page (or scroll, as the Bill Warner [email protected] rude. Just imagine a serious scarab case may be) to see our first color taxonomist opening an envelope submission....................................☞ “Love art. Of all lies, it is the least untrue.” Gustave Flaubert “Plusiotis Gloriosa” Submitted by David Hawks Copyright © 2004 Bug-Proof Clothes Two sister companies, Orvis (a cleaning allowed. fly-fishing and sporting attire “Clothes make specialist) and Ex Officio (a travel Orvis’ BUZZ OFF garments, the man. Naked clothing company) have introduced mostly all-cotton, include shirts, insect-repellent clothing that pants, socks, and hats for men and people have little has passed muster with the women ($45 to $169, orvis.com). or no influence in Environmental Protection Agency. Ex Officio’s BUZZ OFF gear for society.” These garments are treated to repel men, women, and kids, includes Mark Twain mosquitoes, ticks (Lyme disease!), tops, pants, and accessories for ants, flies, chiggers and midges. street or trail in polyester and poly- The active ingredient, permethrin cotton blends, some with moisture- (a synthetic analog of pyrethins, wicking properties and added natural insecticides derived from a sun protection ($9 to $84, http:// chrysanthemum flower) is bonded exofficio.com). to the garment fibers and is good Page 2 for 25 washings, with no dry adapted from BusinessWeek The Revised Classification for Scarabaeoidea: What the Hell is Going On? by Brett C. Ratcliffe and Mary Liz Jameson Systematics Research Collections W436 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68588-0514 bratcliff[email protected] and [email protected] Considering the turmoil and vast changes in the classification of the superfamily Scarabaeoidea during the last 20 years, particularly in North America, we were asked to provide an update for the readers of Scarabs wherein we offer our perspectives. Much of what follows is extracted from our scarabaeoid introduction in American Beetles (Jameson and Ratcliffe 2002). By the time this overview is printed, there may have been more changes in the classification because of the rapidly accumulating evidence supporting new hypotheses. These rapid changes are a result of intensified study of the family groups using both traditional morphological evidence combined Brett and Mary Liz with increasingly insightful The superfamily Scarabaeoidea molecular studies. While possibly is a large, diverse, cosmopolitan disruptive now, these new studies group of beetles. As a personal are exciting because, for the aside (and, of course, with no first time, we are establishing bias), these are probably the finest the higher classification of the beetles in the world. Scarabaeoids Scarabaeoidea based on evidence are adapted to most habitats, and facts rather than intuition. and they can be fungivores, This research confirms many of herbivores, necrophages, our hypotheses of classification coprophages, saprophages, and Ed. Note: Dave Hawks is but also clearly refutes others. sometimes carnivores. They are conducting DNA studies Be on the lookout for future widely distributed around the on the Scarabaeoidea publications by Team Scarab and globe, even living in the Arctic David Hawks! in animal burrows. Some scarabs exhibit parental care and sociality. Page 3 Some are myrmecophilous, is not resolved and continues termitophilous, or ectoparasitic. to be debated. The hierarchical Many possess extravagant horns, level of families and subfamilies others are able to roll into a within the Scarabaeoidea is in compact ball, and still others disarray and remains unresolved. are highly armored for inquiline In most U.S. literature prior to life. A very few are occasionally the 1970s (e.g., Arnett 1968), the agricultural pests that may Scarabaeoidea included three destroy crops (even beetles have families: Passalidae, Lucanidae, to eat!) while others are used in and Scarabaeidae. This three- the biological control of dung family system of classification was and dung flies. Scarabaeoids are the “traditional” North American popular beetles due to their large system and had several practical size, bright colors, and interesting and conceptual advantages. First, natural histories. Early Egyptians it recognized the shared, derived revered the scarab as a god, characters that unite subfamilies Jean-Henri Fabre Jean-Henri Fabre studied their within the family Scarabaeidae. behavior, and Charles Darwin Second, it provided a classification used observations of scarabs in his system that allowed easy retrieval theory of sexual selection. of hierarchical information based on the fact that subfamilies were What characterizes a part of the family Scarabaeidae scarabaeoid? (e.g., life history, morphology, larval type). Phylogenetic research The antennal club is lamellate, the indicates, however, that the family prothorax is often highly modified Scarabaeidae (in the traditional for burrowing (with large coxae, sense) is not a monophyletic usually with concealed trochantins group. Accordingly, most workers and closed cavities), the protibia now follow the 12-family system is usually dentate with a single established by Browne and Scholtz spur, the wing venation is reduced (1995, 1999) and Lawrence and and with a strong intrinsic spring Newton (1995). This system mechanism for folding, tergite 8 places emphasis on the differences forms a true pygidium and is not that separate taxa rather than concealed by tergite 7, there are the similarities that unite them. four Malpighian tubules, and larvae Whereas families, subfamilies, are scarabaeiform (cylindrical, c- and tribes in the staphylinoids and shaped). curculionoids are being combined because of shared characters (thus What is the current status of the increasing efficient data retrieval), classification? the scarabaeoids are being split into numerous families because Monophyly of the superfamily of supposed differences (thus, in Scarabaeoidea is well-founded our view, decreasing information and undisputed (Lawrence and retrieval, at least in the short term). Britton 1991). The sister group The debate concerning scarabaeoid Page 4 for the Scarabaeoidea, however, classification systems illustrates the weak phylogenetic foundation of approximately 21,000 species are the superfamily. This problem is in the subfamilies Melolonthinae, the result of a number of factors Dynastinae, Rutelinae, and including (1) lack of thorough Cetoniinae (the “higher” scarabs). study of all scarabaeoid taxa, (2) Only a few phylogenetic analyses lack of diagnostic characters for have addressed relationships of all taxa, (3) lack of phylogenetic pleurostict subtribes, genera, or study of all taxa, (4) prevailing species (Ratcliffe 1976; Ratcliffe and philosophies regarding categorical Deloya 1992; Jameson 1990, 1996, levels, and (5) emphasis in 1998; Jameson et al. 1994; Krell research on the less speciose 1993;