Trogidae, MacLeay, 1819

Majka, Christopher G., Klimaszewski, Jan & Lauff, Randolph F., 2006, New Coleoptera records from owl nests in Nova Scotia, Canada, Zootaxa 1194, pp. 33-47 : 43

Trogidae

Trox aequalis Say is widely distributed throughout much of eastern and central North America south to northern Mexico ( Vaurie 1955). In Canada it is found from Manitoba east to Nova Scotia ( McNamara 1991). Species of Trox feed in situations where feathers or mammal hairs abound, either in the nests of birds, chiefly hole­nesting species such as owls, woodpeckers, and starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris Linné ), or in the nests of burrowing mammals, such as foxes, gophers, squirrels, mice, rats, rabbits, and badgers. Owl pellets are a good source of supply for some of the smaller species ( Vaurie 1955). Trox aequalis has been found in a variety of nests of mammals and birds, such as crows, screech owls, barn owls ( Tyto alba (Scopoli)) , great horned owls ( Bubo virginianus (Gmelin) , buteos, turkey vultures ( Cathartes aura Linné ), starlings, and tufted titmice ( Baeolophus bicolor (Linné)) ( Robinson 1941) , and in northern saw­whet owl nests (Phillips et al. 1983).