FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



blue; pronotum squarish but pushed in at the front and 

 somewhat bulged at the sides; tip of closed elytra rounded. 



Species of Scarites are narrow; the pro- 

 notum is rounded behind and somewhat 

 "too big"; the wide, flat front tibiae are toothed. The 

 common species of our gardens is subterraneus. It is 

 usually less than .8 in. long; the southern substriatus may 

 be only a large variety of it (an inch or more in length). 

 These species are shiny black; the head has two, deeply 

 indented, parallel lines; the sides of the squarish pronotum 

 are nearly straight and it is separated from the elytra by a 

 neck; the eltrya are distinctly striate. They are often 

 turned up in gardens and feign death by holding the body 

 rigid for a time, but soon run off to shelter. 



Circular, yellow beetles, tessellated with 

 Omophron J . 



dark green, that live by day in the damp 



sand of brook and pond shores and come out at night to 

 seek their prey. 0. americanum is our common species. 



Numerous, small species of Dyschirius and Clivina live 

 in damp soil, especially sandy or muddy banks, and may 

 be collected by throwing water on the banks, forcing the 

 beetles out of the ground for air or to satisfy their curiosity 

 as to the state of the weather. They are usually less 

 than .4 in. long and have two bristle-bearing punctures 

 above each eye and at each hind angle of the pronotum. 

 Pasimachus and Scarites have only one at each of these 

 places. The pronotum of Dyscliirius is globular or oval 

 and that of Clivina is squarish. Other, less common, 

 genera may be distinguished from Dyschirius and Clivina 

 by the fact that their front tarsi are dilated, while those of 

 D. and C. are slender, and by the absence of a neck be- 

 tween the thorax and the elytra. Bembidium and Tachys 

 are remarkable for the speed with which they move and 

 are easily recognized by the short, sharp, needle-like last 

 palpal joint. Bembidium quadrimaculatum, less than 

 .15 in. long, with four conspicuous yellow spots, is common 

 in gardens. Tachys nanus, all black, and Tachys flavi- 

 cauda, brown with a yellow tip, both less than .12 in. long, 

 are common under the bark of dead trees. 



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