A DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA OF BOLBELASMUS-BOCCHUS (ERICHSON) AND SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE GENUS (COLEOPTERA, GEOTRUPIDAE, BOLBOCERATINAE)

The larva of the iberico-maghrebian species Bolbelasmus bocchus (Erich son) is described and compared with other genera of Bolboceratinae. Th e larva of Bolbelasmus bocchus shows numerous affinities with other Bo lboceratinae larvae previously described. The larva of Bolbelasmus boc chus can be characterised as follows : antenna 3-segmented, the first segment of antenna much longer than the second; second segment with th ree sensoria. Phobae of epipharynx very dense, united mesally and hear t-shaped in the pedium, Protophoba with 14 macrosensillae. The larvae of Bolbelasmus Boucomont, Bolbocerosoma Schaeffer and Bolborhachium Bo ucomont are very close, with several characters in common : labrum ent ire, broadly rounded, wider than long; hypopharyngeal oncyli symmetric al; tormae of epipharynx not united mesally; legs well-developed, all three pairs similar in shape, without stridulatory organs. Last abdomi nal segment with a pair of rather fleshy oval, ventral anal lobes and an unpaired rather fleshy dorsal anal lobe. Anal opening Y-shaped, Oth er characters are in common with genus Eucanthus Westwood, which is co nsidered as very primitive among the other genera of the Scarabaeoidea : shape of anal lobes, non-fused tormae of epipharynx, shape of epi p harynx phobae, shape of the lobes of hypopharyngeal glossae, symmetry of hypopharyngeal sclerites. Conversely, the Bolboceras Kirby larva se ems very different from all the other Bolboceratinae larvae. The prese nt study confirms that all the Bolboceratinae genera can be considered together as forming a primitive group in Scarabaeoidea. The observed differences among all the Bolboceratinae larvae suggest a polyphyletic evolution.