Three species of Thoracophorus Motschulsky (Staphylinidae: Osoriinae) are reported from North America north of Mexico: T. brevicristatus (Horn), T. costalis (Erichson), and T. guadalupensis Cameron. A survey of nearly 5,000 specimens from 38 institutions showed that T. costalis was the most common and widespread of the three species, representing 99% of all specimens and ranging throughout eastern North America west to central Texas and north to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Thoracophorus brevicristatus is found across the extreme southern USA from Arizona to Florida. Thoracophorus guadalupensis is found only in Florida. A key to species and range maps are provided.

The tenebrionid genus Eleodes Eschscholtz, 1829 was monographed by Blaisdell in 1909. Blaisdell's monograph did not cover most of the continental Mexican species, and most of the Eleodes subgenera have not been revised since the time of that publication. The subgenus Promus LeConte, 1862 is herein reviewed. Eleodes compositus Casey, 1891, revised status, is removed from synonymy with Eleodes hispilabris (Say, 1824) and placed in the subgenus Promus. Moreover, Eleodes hepburni Champion, 1892 is moved from Promus to the subgenus Steneleodes Blaisdell, 1909. Eleodes subnitens sinuata Blaisdell, 1909 is placed as a junior synonym of Eleodes subnitens LeConte, 1851, new synonymy. Eleodes madrensis Johnston, new species, is described from Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. A checklist is given for all species currently assigned to Promus, and a key is presented for the eight species known to occur in the United States.

The genus Xylocaris Dupont, 1834 is redescribed and a new species, Xylocaris hirsutus Botero from Argentina (Santiago del Estero), the second known of the genus, is described.

The viduatus species-group of Nearctic Pachybrachis Chevrolat, 1836 is defined and revised. The group is composed of nine species, including four described as new species: Pachybrachis bloxham Riley and Barney, Pachybrachis chester Riley and Barney, Pachybrachis deceptor Riley and Barney, and Pachybrachis kentuckyensis Riley and Barney. Lectotypes are designated for Cryptocephalus m-nigrum Melsheimer, 1847, Cryptocephalus trinotatus Melsheimer,1847, and Pachybrachys intricatus Suffrian, 1852, and a neotype is designated for Cryptocephalus viduatus F., 1801. A key to species is given, and a description, figures, and range map are presented for each species. Some new descriptive terminology is introduced for the male genitalia. The male median lobe is described and illustrated for the first time for each species. Adults of the viduatus species-group appear to be associated with the plant genus Hypericum L. (Clusiaceae).

The food relocation, reproductive, and nesting behaviors of Canthon bispinus Germar were studied in terraria at ambient conditions outdoors with three food resources. Individuals fed upon fish meat and dog dung but did not use cow dung. Five kinds of food manipulation behavior were observed: rolling balls, rolling dung pellets, rolling small pieces of fish, direct burial, and stationary rotation of food. To attract females, males adopt the typical headstand position for the emission of sexual pheromones beside the food source or next to a rolled ball. Males make two sizes of balls to attract females: small balls (≤10 mm) and large balls (≥11 mm). Small balls are always abandoned intact or lightly bitten after mating; they are regarded as nuptial gifts offered by males only to copulate. Most often, sexual encounters occur at the food source or, less frequently, while the male is rolling a ball without the previous emission of pheromones. Only carrion-provisioned large balls (11–21 mm maximum diameter) are used for nesting. Males assume the principal role in making and rolling the ball. Most nests are telecoprid, compound, and shallowly buried. Parental care is performed by the couple; the male remains in the nest up to10 days, while the female usually remains for 30 to 32 days, just a few days prior to the emergence of the progeny. Survival rate was 92%. The carrion-provisioned brood balls are shaped like a figure eight or a pear. The egg chamber is separated from the provision chamber by a partition of soil material. As larval development advances, small excretions appear, increasing in number outside the ball.

The brood ball of Canthon (Canthon) lituratus Germar is an elongated ovoid covered by a thin lining of soil and dung fibers. The provision is mostly composed of dung and scattered flakes of organic matter. The egg chamber, which is located in the upper part of the provision, shows no evidence of lining and is connected to the exterior through an elongated aeration conduit. This conduit, which acts as a filter, is filled with interlaced dung fibers. These brood ball features are compared with those reported for several coprophagous species of Canthon Hoffmansegg. The brood ball of C. lituratus is also compared with a similar new fossil brood ball from the Cenozoic of Patagonia: Coprinisphaera cotiae Sánchez and Genise, new ichnospecies. A brief review of South American fossil brood balls in the ichnogenera Coprinisphaera Sauer and Quirogaichnus Laza is also provided with illustrations of the types.

This is the first paper to comprehensively describe the community structure of Scarabaeoidea dung beetles attracted to European bison dung, including their diel activity. The beetle community was monitored during six research series (April to October) in Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland (≈160 m elevation). The study material comprised 6,401 individuals representing 20 species. Diurnal communities were dominated by Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Scriba), while Aphodius rufipes (L.) was the only species with most of the individuals caught at night. The latter dominated overnight communities in June and August. Patterns of diel activity of most of the taxa seem to be stable during the whole season.

The South American genus Allorrhina Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini) is comprehensively revised. Redescriptions, diagnoses, distributions, and illustrations of nine species are provided. Allorrhina denotata Abadie and Ratcliffe from Brazil is described as a new species. The following new synonyms are established: Cotinis amazonica Thomson is Allorrhina carmelita (Burmeister); Gymnetis rhinoceros Gory and Percheron, Gymnetis cornifrons Gory and Percheron, Allorrhina baeri Bourgoin, Allorrhina viridicans Bourgoin, and Allorrhina gounellei Bourgoin are all Allorrhina menetriesii (Swederus); Gymnetis lugubris Thomson is Allorrhina nigerrima Burmeister.

Apart from one species of lucanid, myrmecophily of beetles has been poorly documented in New Zealand, where there are 11 species of endemic ants. We record Pselaphinae from ants of the genera Austroponera Schmidt and Shattuck, Huberia Forel, and Prolasius Forel consisting of true inquilines for Euplectitae and possibly accidental associations for Faronitae and Goniaceritae. We redescribe Kenocoelus Broun and Neosampa Broun (type species: N. granulata Broun) and newly describe four genera and seven species in Trichonychini as follows: Panaphantina: Kenocoelus (type species: K. dimorphus Broun; K. johni Nomura and Leschen new species and K. mikonuiensis Nomura and Leschen new species), Myrmecoplectus Nomura and Leschen new genus (type species: M. wellingtonicus Nomura and Leschen new species; M. attenuatus Nomura and Leschen new species), Parkerola Nomura and Leschen new genus (type species: Parkerola gigantea (Broun) new combination), Zeadalmodes Nomura and Leschen new genus (type species: Z. myrmecophilus Nomura and Leschen new species; Z. brevis Nomura and Leschen new species); Trogastrini: Zeasampa Nomura and Leschen new genus (type species: Zeasampa nunni Nomura and Leschen new species). Lectotypes are designated for K. dimorphus Broun and N. granulata Broun. The Australian genus Plectostenus Lea and Kenocoelus are likely sister taxa and are found with ponerine ants. The nature of ant associations, morphological features, and origin of beetle/host ant associations are discussed.

Twenty nests of Coprophanaeus (Coprophanaeus) cyanescens (Olsoufieff) were studied in the field and described herein for the first time. They are paracoprid, subterranean (simple), and basically L-shaped. Nine pear-shaped brood balls were obtained in situ. The brood balls display a protuberance that is separated from the provision chamber by a partition of soil material. However, no constriction between them is externally recognizable. The brood balls exhibit a thick wall composed of soil material. In the upper part of the brood ball, the wall is wide enough to include the complete spherical egg chamber. The egg chamber lacks an organic lining. Between the top of the protuberance and the egg chamber, there is an aeration conduit connecting the egg chamber to the exterior via a filter of loose soil. The provision chambers are filled with carnivore/omnivore feces or carrion, mainly pig fat, which originated from remains discarded from a nearby slaughterhouse. The brood balls are surrounded and penetrated by roots. The wall shows traces (pits) produced by the appendages of the brood ball constructor and borings and fecal pellets attributed to earthworms.

Species of Oncideres Serville, often referred to as twig girdlers, girdle tree branches prior to oviposition to promote larval development. The behavior creates a unique niche that is utilized by other beetle species. The objective of this study was to compare emergence of insects from branches girdled by Oncideres saga Dalman in an intercropping system and a monoculture of Acacia mangium Willd. in the Atlantic Rainforest of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Twenty-four Coleoptera species emerged from the branches: 17 Cerambycidae; three Cleridae; and one individual each from Cantharidae, Cucujidae, Elateridae, and Trogossitidae. Although branches from the intercropping system yielded more individuals, branches from the monoculture had higher species richness, including almost all of the cerambycid species and all of the potential predators. The use of girdled twigs may confer a reproductive advantage to subsequent cerambycid colonists, which are probably attracted to the volatiles released by the girdled branch. Beetles belonging to other families may prey on the Cerambycidae dwelling inside the branches. Potential predators may be ecologically important, contributing to the natural biological control of O. saga. Collecting and burning the infested branches is the technique most extensively used to control the twig girdlers. However, this also destroys beneficial organisms as well as the subsequent colonists that depend upon these branches.

Adult Tetracha carolina (L.) were active during a 15-week period at an old-field site in Washington Co., Mississippi. Seven body measurements were obtained from 398 individuals captured by barrier pitfalls, with male measurements significantly different from females except for length of the mandibles. When females first appeared, some either contained developed eggs or had recently discharged eggs, even though they were still teneral. By the end of the 15-week period, many of the mandibles of both sexes were severely damaged, some broken to a mere stub. The possible relationship of early reproductive status and rapid damage to mandibles is discussed.