444 COLEOPTERA. 



eleven-jointed antennas, which are verticillate, with long hairs, 

 are inserted at the margin of the front, and the club is long 

 and loosely articulated. The beetles live under the bark 

 of trees and in ants' nests. The larvae are carnivorous, 

 being very active, without ocelli, and with cylindrical 

 bodies, with four-jointed antennae and long four-jointed 

 legs. Trichopteryx is known by its pubescent body, 

 and laminate posterior coxae. One species is one-third 

 of a line long ; others are still smaller. The larva 

 ' lg ' 91 of the European T. intermedia Gillmeister (Fig. 391, 

 enlarged) feeds on Poduras. 



PIIALACUID^E Erichson. "A small number of oval or 

 rounded oval, convex, shining insects, constitute this family. 

 They are found on flowers, and sometimes under bark. The 

 elytra have sometimes approximate rows of small punctures, 

 but more usually only a sutural stria. The scutellum is larger 

 than usual, triangular. One of the four genera (Tolyphus) 

 of this family is wanting in our fauna. The other three are 

 separated by the form of the posterior tarsi." (Leconte.) In 

 Phalacrus the anterior and posterior tarsi are of the same 

 length. The larvae are vegetable feeders, living in the flowers 

 of composite plants. 



NITIDULARI^E Latreille. This family includes small oval or 

 elliptical, flattened beetles, which are sometimes almost globu- 

 lar. The head is suddenly narrowed before the insertion of 

 the antennae, thus forming a short beak, and the antennae may 

 be partially retracted into a groove under 

 the eyes. The larvae are both carnivorous 

 and vegetable-feeders ; they are elongated, 

 with two to four-jointed antennae, three ocelli 

 on each side, with a flattened haiiy body, 

 ending in four small, horny, recurved tuber- 

 cles. The pupae may be found under the 

 surface of the ground in earth and sawdust. 

 CarpopMlus has the second and third abdominal segments 

 short, while the first, fourth and fifth are longer, and the claws 

 are simple. CarpopMlus antiquus Mels. is a well known spe- 



