Abstract

This paper presents a taxonomic review of the genus Melanocanthon Halffter, a group of ball-roll¬ing (telocoprid) dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) endemic to eastern North America. The genus comprises five species, each keyed, diagnosed, illustrated and presented with information on dis¬tribution, relationships, and biology: Melanocanthon punctaticollis (Schaeffer), M. granulifer (Schmidt), M. nigricornis (Say), M. bispinatus (Robinson) and Melanocanthon vulturnus Edmonds, new species.

References

• Blair WF. 1950. The biotic provinces of Texas. The Texas Journal of Science 2: 93–117.  
• Blanchard F. 1885. On the species of Canthon and Phanaeus of the United States with notes on other genera. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 12: 163–172.  
• Blatchley WS. 1910. An illustrated descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera or Beetles (exclusive of the Rhynchophora) known to occur in Indiana, with bibliography and descriptions of new species. The Nature Publishing Co.; Indianapolis. 1386 p 
• Blatchley WS. 1927. The Scarabaeidae of Florida. The Florida Entomologist 11: 55–62.   (Note: Blatchley’s work was published piecemeal under the same title in volumes 11–14 [1927–1930] of The Florida Entomologist, collated as follows by Woodruff (1973): 1927 [vol. 11: 44–46, 55–62]; 1928 [vol.12: 9–14, 22–30, 44–46, 63–65]; 1929 [vol. 13: 33–37, 52–56, 69–77]; 1930 [vol. 14: 13–17, 25–35])
• Edmonds WD. 2022. Taxonomic review of the North American dung beetle genus Boreocanthon Halffter, 1958 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Deltochilini). Insecta Mundi 0952: 1–65.  
• Fincher GT. 1975. Dung beetles of Blackbeard Island (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin 29: 319–320.  
• Fincher GT, Blume RR, Hunter III JS, Beerwinkle KR. 1986. Seasonal distribution and diel flight activity of dung-feeding scarabs in open and wooded pasture in east-central Texas. Southwestern Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1–35.  
• Freese EL, Veal DA, Lago PK. 2020. The Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) of Iowa: An annotated checklist. Insecta Mundi 0787: 1–83.  
• González-Alvarado A, Molano-Rendón F, Vaz-de-Mello FZ. 2019. A new genus of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Journal of Natural History 53: 1751–1765.  
• Gordon RD, Cartwright OL. 1974. Survey of food preferences of some North American Canthonini. Entomological News 85: 181–185.  
• Halffter G. 1958. Dos nuevos géneros de Canthonini (Col. Scarabaeidae). Ciencia (Mexico) 17: 207–212.  
• Halffter G. 1961. Monografía de las especies norteamericanas del género Canthon Hoffsg. (Coleopt. Scarab.) Ciencia (Mexico) 20: 225–320.  
• Halffter G, Espinosa de los Monteros A, Nolasco-Soto J, Arriaga-Jiménez A, Rivera-Gasperín S. 2022. Bajacanthon, a new subgenus for the Mexican Deltochilini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) fauna. Diversity 14(2): 109.  
• Harpootlian PJ. 1995. Notes and records of Scarabaeidae from the southeastern United States. The Coleopterists Bulletin 49: 280.  
• Harpootlian PJ. 2001. Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of South Carolina. Biota of South Carolina, vol. 2. Clemson University; Clemson, South Carolina. 157 p 
• Hart CA. 1907. Zoological studies in the sand regions of the Illinois and Mississippi River valleys. Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History 7: 195–272.  
• Hinson K. 2011. Species diversity and seasonal abundance of Scarabaeoidea at four locations in South Carolina. All Theses 1082. 113 p. Clemson University; Clemson, SC. Available at https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/1082  (Last accessed August 3, 2023.)
• Horn GH. 1870. Notes on some genera of coprophagous Scarabaeidae of the United States. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 3: 41–51.  
• Howden HF. 1963. Speculations on some beetles, barriers, and climates during the Pleistocene and pre-Pleistocene periods in some non-glaciated portions of North America. Systematic Zoology 12: 178–201.  
• Howden HF. 1966. Some possible effects of the Pleistocene on the distributions of North American Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera). The Canadian Entomologist 98: 1177–1190.  
• ICZN [International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]. 1999. International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Fourth edition. The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature; London. 306 p 
• Kaufman PE, Wood LA. 2012. Indigenous and exotic dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) collected in Florida cattle pastures. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 105: 225–231.  
• King IN. 1914. The Coleoptera of Henry County, Iowa. Bulletin of the Iowa Academy of Sciences 21: 317–339.  
• Kohlmann B, Halffter G. 1990. Reconstruction of a specific example of insect invasion waves: The cladistic analysis of Canthon (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and related genera in North America. Quaestiones Entomologicae 26: 1–20.  
• Krell F-T. 2010. Catalogue of Colorado scarab and stag beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), based on literature records. DMNS Technical Report 2010–4. Denver; Denver Museum of Nature and Science. 84 p 
• Löding HP. 1945. Catalogue of the beetles of Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama 11: 1–172.  
• Marshall SD, Hoeh WR, Deyrup MA. 2000. Biogeography and conservation biology of Florida’s Geolycosa wolf spiders: threatened spiders in endangered ecosystems. Journal of Insect Conservation 4: 11–21.  
• Mawdsley JR. 1993. The entomological collection of Thomas Say. Psyche 100: 163–171.  
• Mayr E. 1931. Birds collected during the Whitney South Sea expedition. XII. Notes on Halcyon chloris and some of its subspecies. American Museum Novitates 469: 1–10.  
• Medina CA, Scholtz CH, Gill BD. 2003. Morphological variation and systematics of Canthon Hoffmannsegg 1817, and related genera of New World Cathonini dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeinae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 50: 23–68.  
• Melsheimer FE. 1853. Catalogue of the described Coleoptera of the United States (revised by S. S. Haldeman and J. L. LeConte). Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC. 174 p 
• Miller A. 1954. Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and other insects in relation to human feces in a hookworm area of southern Georgia. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 3: 372–389.  
• Neill WT. 1957. Historical biogeography of present-day Florida. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 2: 175–220.  
• Nemes SN, Price DL. 2015. Illustrated keys to the Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of Maryland. Northeastern Naturalist 22: 318–344.  
• Peck SB, Howden HF. 1985. Biogeography of scavenging scarab beetles in the Florida Keys: post-Pleistocene land-bridge islands. Canadian Journal of Zoology 63: 2730–2737.  
• Price DL, Brenneman LM, Johnston RE. 2012. Dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) communities of eastern Maryland. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 114: 142–151.  
• Price DL, Ratcliffe B. 2023. The scarabaeoid beetles of Maryland (Coleoptera). Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum 33: 1–330.  
• Robinson M. 1941. Studies in the Scarabaeidae of North America. Parts I and II. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 67: 127–136.  
• Robinson M. 1948. A review of the species of Canthon inhabiting the United States. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 74: 83–99.  
• Rounds RJ, Floate KD. 2012. Diversity and seasonal phenology of coprophagous beetles at Lake City, Michigan, USA, with a new state record for Onthophagus taurus (Schreber) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin 66: 169-172.  
• Say T. 1823. Descriptions of coleopterous insects collected in the late expedition to the Rocky Mountains, performed by order of Mr. Calhoun, Secretary of War, under the command of Major Long. Journal of the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia 3: 139–216.  
• Schaeffer C. 1915. New Coleoptera and miscellaneous notes. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 23: 47–55.  
• Schmidt A. 1920. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Gattungen Canthon Hffsg., Sybax Boh., Aphodius Ill., Simogenius Har., Ataenius Har.. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 86: 114–147.  
• Smith HM, Buechner HK. 1947. The influence of the Balcones Escarpment on the distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Texas. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 8: 1–16.  
• Vaz de Mello F, Cupello M. 2018. The type specimens of South American dung beetles. Part I: On the species described in the genus Canthon Hoffmannsegg, 1817 by the German entomologist Adolf Schmidt (1856–1923) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae). Spixiana 41: 33–76.  
• Vestal AG. 1913. An associational study of Illinois sand prairie. Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History 10: 1–96.  
• Wagner PM, Abagandura GO, Mamo M, Weissling T, Wingeyer A, Bradshaw JD. 2020. Abundance and diversity of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) as affected by grazing management in Nebraska sandhills ecosystem. Environmental Entomology 50: 222–231.  
• Weiss HB, Ziegler GM. 1931. Thomas Say, early American naturalist. Charles C. Thomas; Springfield, Illinois. 260 p 
• Whipple SD, Hoback WW. 2012. A comparison of dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) attraction to native and exotic mammal dung. Environmental Entomology 41: 238–244.  
• Williams AH, Kriska NL. 2001. Notes on the biology of Melanocanthon nigricornis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist 34: 129–131.  
• Woodruff RE. 1973. The scarab beetles of Florida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Part I. The Laparosticti (Subfamilies: Scarabaeinae, Aphodiinae, Hybosorinae, Ochodaeinae, Geotrupinae, Acanthocerinae). Arthropods of Florida and neighboring land areas, Vol. 8. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Gainesville, Florida. 220 p 
• Young KL. 2021. In the pines: dung beetle community composition in longleaf pine habitat. All Theses 3640. 34 p. Clemson University; Clemson, SC. Available at https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/3640  (Last accessed August 2023.)