TENEBRIONID^; 71 



group of Euschides they become notably larger and less transverse; 

 their anterior margin varies from evenly and broadly arcuate, as 

 in Glyptasida and Pelecyphorus, to broadly sinuate somewhat below 

 the middle as in Euschides and the other genera of that part of the 

 series, and in the very aberrant Litasida it becomes more deeply 

 sinuate. The epistoma is sinuato-truncate, the labrum well de- 

 veloped, generally sinuate at the middle of the apex, the mandibles 

 thick, externally punctate and puberulent basally, rather rapidly 

 acuminate and nude apically and with the tip invariably bifid. 

 The antennae are rather short, as a rule, with joints nine and ten, 

 or sometimes only the tenth, wider, the eleventh always smaller 

 and more or less imbedded in the concave apex of the tenth, although 

 as a singular exception the European Globasida Escal., has the 

 eleventh joint almost as large as the tenth and perfectly free though 

 closely joined to the tenth along a broad base; this remarkable 

 character may however be to some extent sexual, as the female is 

 not in my collection at present. The depressed patches of tomen- 

 tum on the apex of the tenth joint and involving the entire apex of 

 the eleventh are constantly present. The mentum is large to 

 moderate in size, narrowed toward base or transversely subquadrate, 

 inserted upon a distinct gular extension or pedestal or not, its apex 

 transverse and medially sinuate; it may fill the entire buccal opening, 

 cover all the mouth organs and closely fit against the closed man- 

 dibles as in Astrotus, or leave most of the mouth parts exposed at 

 its sides and apex as in Euschides and many other genera. The 

 prothorax is always much wider than the head and sinuate at apex, 

 with more or less anteriorly prominent angles and it is nearly 

 always narrower than the elytra, the latter generally widely, or 

 better perhaps, deeply, embracing the sides of the body beneath, 

 though narrowly so in a few cases such as Microschatia and related 

 genera, Litasida and the European Asida hesperica, which, on this 

 account, should probably be separated generically. In Pelecy- 

 phorus the hind body is often greatly inflated when compared with 

 the anterior parts. The legs are comparatively thin and relatively 

 weak, giving slow and heavy movements in locomotion; the coxae 

 are transversely oval to subglobular and the tibial spurs short. 

 The trochantin is inconstant, usually large and distinct but some- 

 times wholly obsolete, as noted in the table given below. 



