One of the distinctive aspects of members of the Scarabaeidae family is the use of mammal dung as a food source, although some species may use other resources. One of the most interesting variations is the association with fruits and flowers of the genus Gustavia of the family Lecythidaceae. Eurysternus plebejus Harold individuals were discovered feeding on the decaying petals of Gustavia hexapetala (Aublet) Smith, an association unknown until now. It was not possible to confirm the use of petals as a resource for constructing nest-balls. Eurysternus plebejus is attracted to other sources of food such as mammal dung and carrion, so it appears to be a facultative generalist species that can use a wide range of available food sources. The petals of G. hexapetala constitute an additional food source that is less ephemeral than dung and an excellent alternative given to its coexistence with a high number of species in the area. A detailed study of E. plebejus using petals and a morphological study of its digestive tract, in order to confirm the pattern described for its nesting are recommended. Continuing to search for new food sources in assemblages with strong competition pressures is equally important.

The sutural margins of the elytra of adult beetles are in the form of a ‘tongue and groove’ joint and are bilaterally asymmetrical. Species in Haliplidae have unequal numbers of individuals with the tongue on the left (sinistral) and right (dextral) elytron. This implies that the direction of asymmetry is inherited even though the asymmetry appears to be generated when the teneral adult first closes its elytra. The species in Brychius Thomson and Peltodytes Régimbart include predominantly sinistral individuals. Haliplus Latreille contains two groups: a sinistral group including the species in the subgenera Haliplus s.str., Neohaliplus Netolitzky and probably Haliplidius Guignot plus H. (Liaphlus) laminatus (Schaller) and H. (Paraliaphlus) borealis LeConte; and a dextral group including the remaining species in the subgenera Liaphlus Guignot and Paraliaphlus Guignot. These results support splitting Haliplus into two genera and the reassignment of H. laminatus and H. borealis to Haliplus s.str. Species from nine other families were examined as out-groups; hydradephagan species are dominantly dextral while most geadephagan species are antisymmetric, including equal numbers of sinistral and dextral individuals.

The function of microtrichial patches and areoles found in most eucnemid larvae is discussed. The areoles are regarded to be water excreting organs important for larval water-balance. The microtrichial patches were known to be an essential part of the larval locomotory method. It is suggested the modified spiracular collars associated with larvae of certain Dirhagini and Macraulacinae play a similar role. This appears especially clear with respect to Asiocnemis spp. The overall similarity between soft-bodied larvae of the few true wood-boring Eucnemidae is considered a homoplastic adaptation to multiple secondary invasions into relatively hard wood.

Three new species of the xyleborine ambrosia beetle genus Xylosandrus Reitter are described from Queensland, Australia: X. monteithi, X. queenslandi, X. woodi. Xylosandrus discolor (Blandford) is recorded for the first time from Australia. The following new combinations are given: Cnestus pseudosolidus (Schedl), Cnestus solidus (Eichhoff). These 2 species, originally described in Xyleborus, were included in Xylosandrus by Wood and Bright (1992) and are here transferred to Cnestus. A key to the six Xylosandrus species known to occur in Australia, and two that are likely to be imported, is provided. Notes are given on the distribution, host trees and economic importance of the Australian species.

Orthotomicus chaokhao new species is described from Northern Thailand. It is morphologically similar to O. angulatus Eichhoff, 1878 but can be distinguished by the presence of a spine located on the face of declivity near the apex of the declivity and also by straight posterior margin of elytra in both sexes.

Trechus breuili Jeannel 1913, a hypogean species from the southern Iberian peninsula, is redescribed and a new distribution reported. Following a detailed study of the aedeagus (conformation of the inner sac and the apical lamina asymmetrically curved to the left), the species is assigned to the T. martinezi-lineage (sensu Ortuño and Arillo), which comprises a group of species showing strong biogeographical coherence (southwestern Mediterranean region).

We describe the new genus, Renodesta for two new species, R. stephani and R. ramsdalei. This genus belongs to the Caenoscelini and is distinguished from other genera in the tribe by extreme eye reduction to a single ommatidium, fusion of the apical two antennomeres, and a lack of prosternal foveae. The new species are found in leaf litter, especially associated with rotting wood, and are known only from a few localities in California's central Coast Ranges. Renodesta appears to be sister to a lineage comprising the Southeast Asian genera Dernostea Sasaji and Himascelis Sen Gupta, with the widespread genus Sternodea Reitter potentially sister to all of these.

Rapid and accurate sexing of the green June beetle, Cotinis nitida L., is important in research on this species, and secondary sexual characteristics are often used in sexing this insect. However, information about C. nitida secondary sexual dimorphism is limited to a small sample collected from the northeastern United States. We studied the distribution of morphological traits which are thought to be sex-dependent characteristics (number of teeth on anterior tibia, ratio of the hind tibia to the hind tarsus, pubescence of the last abdominal sternite, and general shape of clypeal horn) in a large sample acquired from a Missourian C. nitida population. These beetles exhibited a lesser degree of secondary sexual dimorphism in comparison to northeastern US C. nitida populations, especially in older females that possibly had worn down tibial teeth and abdominal hairs by digging in soil to lay eggs. Consequently, the method of sexing C. nitida by the use of secondary sexual characteristics is probably not applicable for all ages of adult beetles. We illustrate a rapid method of sexing C. nitida that involves a gentle lateral squeeze of the abdomen in vivo to separate the anal tergite and sternite, allowing examination of the primary sexual characteristics (genitalia).

A new species of Anillinus is described from the Ozark Region of central United States. Anillinus aleyae new species, is based on specimens collected in southern Missouri (36.5585°N, 92.8134°W). The discovery of this species extends the western part of the range of Anillinus approximately 170 km north of its closest known congeners from the Ouachita Mountains and is the first documented record of the genus from the Ozark Region. A key is provided that will allow separation of Anillinus species west of the Mississippi River.

Heterachthes rugosicollis Martins is recorded for the first time from North America north of Mexico (U.S.A.). Its host plant is identified, a description in English is given, and an updated key to the genus in North America is provided.

The larval behaviors probably associated with respiration are reported in different larval instars of Luciola substriata Gorham (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). The behavior involved exposing eighth abdominal segment with spiracles to the atmosphere when swim behavior occurred to 1^st–2^nd and 3^rd–6^th instar larvae. In addition, 3^rd–6^th instar larvae exposed second to seventh abdominal segments with spiracles to air when swimming. Swimming and the behavior that uses the force of body curving travelling in a head-to-tail direction produces a sinusoidal wave. However, probably 1^st–2^nd instar larvae used both tracheal gills and the exposed posterior spiracle for respiration. Whereas 3^rd–6^th instar larvae lack tracheal gills, they probably rely only on tracheal respiration. The survival times of 1^st–2^nd instar larvae were nine times to 3^rd–6^th instar larvae when the water in the beakers was isolated from atmosphere by a thin plastic membrane. The potential for different selective pressures acting on these early and late instars was discussed.