TENEBRIONID/E 77 



Elytra without true costae, the elevated lines when present having more 



the nature of narrowed and accentuated obtuse ridges 17 



17 Body more or less evidently pubescent, the mentum rather small, 

 loosely fitted in the buccal opening, with free space at the sides, the 

 gular pedestal long and well developed; antennae very slender, with 

 the tenth joint abruptly wider, nearly as in normal European Asida; 

 basal angles of the prothorax never prominent; anterior tibiae 

 generally serrulate externally, the outer angle at tip strongly everted 

 and very acutely spiniform. [Type Pelecyphorus hirsutus Lee.]. 



Trichiasida 



Body evidently pubescent but with the hairs short, and not simple as 

 in the preceding genus but peculiarly modified; prothorax nearly 

 similar in general form but with sides very broadly reflexed, some- 

 what as in Embaphion; elytra nearly flat, acutely margined at the 



sides. [Type Asida embaphionides Horn] Platasida 



Body glabrous or virtually so; thoracic angles variable 18 



1 8 Elytra very narrowly inflexed beneath as in Microschatia, forming 

 narrow epipleura,* the body moderately convex, rather small in 

 size, smooth, with strongly reflexed margins; anterior tibiae very 

 moderately everted externally at apex, spinulo-serrate on the inner 

 but not the outer edge; tarsi unusually long; mentum and palpi 

 nearly as in Trichiasida, the antennae thicker, gradually enlarged 

 distally through joints eight to ten, the latter not abruptly \vider; 



trochantin obsolete. [Type L. toivnsendi n. sp.] *Litasida 



Elytra widely or deeply inflexed at the sides beneath as usual 19 



19 Mentum rather small, leaving much void space between it and the 

 sides of the buccal opening as a rule, the gular pedestal rather long 

 and but moderately wide; body small or moderate in size; anterior 

 tibiae more or less strongly everted and acute externally at apex, 

 the external edge generally somewhat spinulo-serrate; tarsi mod- 

 erately long, slender, with short spiniform setae beneath; antennae 

 rather stout to moderately slender, well developed, usually gradu- 

 ally enlarged distally. [Type Asida opaca Say] Asidopsis 



Mentum much larger, tightly filling the buccal opening, the gular pedestal 

 very short and broad, with the aperture at its extremities very 

 small; body large to very large in size; legs nearly as in Asidopsis. 



[Type Asida obliterata Champ.] Megasida 



20 Body elongate, moderately large to small in size, moderately convex 

 to nearly flat above, with or without erect sparse hairs, the elytra 

 not costate as a rule; anterior tibiae generally slightly serrulate 

 externally, with the outer angle at tip variable but usually distinctly- 

 everted and acutely spiniform; tarsi clothed beneath with short 

 stiff in:lined hairs; mentum transverse, in loose contact with the 



*For the sake of consistency in forming the plural of Greek words such as elytron, 

 meron, sternum and others, it seems best to abandon my heretofore uniform custom of 

 using pleura, with the plural pleurae, although the apparent preference of this form 

 by the Greeks themselves was the probable cause of its proposal by Audouin in early 

 days. The example of Audouin was generally followed until recently, there now being 

 an evident tendency to employ the form pleuron with plural pleura. 



