In response to a request for insects highlighted in this blog to feature groups other than the Hymenoptera, we focus this week on the Coleoptera, in particular the family Bolboceratidae (Mulsant, 1842). To me there are two things that make bolboceratids especially interesting; the highly convex shape of both the thorax and elytra creating their nearly hemispherical shape, and their name, which sounds right for a creature with their appearance. Species of Bolboceratinae are large to very large beetles, ranging up to 3 cm in length. Bolboceratids, like all scarab beetles, sport antennae that end in a 3-segment club, but differ from others in having large, nearly circular club segments. Until recently, the family was classified as a subfamily of the Geotrupidae (Latreille, 1802). However, recent morphological and molecular evidence raised the Bolboceratinae to family status. Phylogenetic studies showed that the Bolboceratidae are more closely related to the Pleocomidae and Passalidae than to Scarabaeidae. We have collected several species of bolboceratids in Kenya.
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Little is known of their biology, at least partly because studying them is difficult. Adults dig deep tunnels (up to a meter or more) at the bottom of which the females provision a “nest” composed of rotting leaves, fungi and other detritus, which her larvae will feed on. She then lays her eggs on the food mass. Mature larvae leave the tunnel to pupate.
Two entomologists played a role in the discovery and naming of the family. Letraille named the original family (Geotrupidae) under which Bolboceratinae was a subfamily (later raised to family level). Pierre André Latreille (1762-1833) was one of the great names of French entomology. His early life wasn’t pleasant. His mother abandoned him and his father refused to recognize him legally, though he supported him through school. How (or why) he became known as Latreille remains a mystery. He petitioned the court to have “Latreille” appended to his Christian names. Latreille studied for the priesthood, but he became enthralled by natural history and zoology, especially insects, and left the priesthood to pursue entomology as a vocation. Although Latreille named many species, his primary interest was in describing genera and introducing organizational taxonomy. Two of his breakthroughs included introducing the concept of the “’type species”, anchoring the first described species to a particular genus, and introducing the idea of higher levels of organization by naming family, subfamily and tribe to include the type genus name (e.g. the genus Geotrupes becomes the root of the names of higher levels, Geotrupidae, etc …). During his career Latreille worked his way up steadily to successive positions of higher responsibility finally replacing Jean Lamark (yes, that Lamark) as professor of zoology at the Muséum National d‘Histroire Naturelle.
Etienne Mulsant (1797-1880) was a coleopterist and ornithologist who described the family Bolboceratidae (as Bolboceratinae). His life seemed to be a bountiful one, his family’s finances supporting him through a very productive career. His two major studies were Coléoptères de France, ("Natural History of the Coleoptera of France") with various other entomologists, and Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux-Mouches, ou Colibris constituant la famille des Trochilïdes). Oiseaux-Mouches (bird flies) is the common name in French for hummingbirds. Wonderful!
Inspired by his love for his wife he published an entomology text, Lettres à Julie sur l'entomologie, suivies d'une description méthodique de la plus grande partie des insectes de France, ornées de planches... ("Letters to Julie on entomology, followed by a methodical description of the greatest part of the insects of France with, decorated plates..."), dedicated to his future wife, Julie Ronchivole. C’est Un grand bonhomme.
