.">(;<) FAMILY XXI OlTOr.lll'.K. 



Family XXI. (HICIT.JID.E. 

 THE FLAT BARK BEETLES. 



The C'ucujida- constitute a small family of very depressed elon- 

 gate beetles. As Mr. Dury has well said: "The members of the 

 family arc striking examples of forms modified for an existence 

 under the loose, close-lying bark of trees, enabling them to squeeze 

 into crevices, where they find food for their larva 1 , and which the 

 eternally vigilant ant cannot penetrate." The name "Cucujus" 

 is of South American origin, and its meaning is not certain. It is 

 said to, be applied by the natives to a luminous snapping beetle 

 (Elatcr iinctilHcus L.) of Brazil and adjoining countries. 



From allied families the Cucujida? may be distinguished by 

 having the antenna' 11 -jointed, inserted at the margin of the front, 

 sometimes long and slender, sometimes with the outer joints slightly 

 enlarged; seutellum distinct; elytra rounded at tip and covering 

 the abdomen, usually flat and strongly margined; front coxal cavi- 

 ties widely separated, usually closed behind, though open in some 

 subfamilies, the coxa- rounded or subglobular, not prominent; 

 middle coxa- small, subl riangular, not prominent; hind coxa 1 nearly 

 contiguous, transverse; abdomen with five free ventral segments, 

 equal in length; legs rather short, femora large; tibia- slender, ter- 

 minated by two spurs. 



The larva? of the Cucujida-, a.s far as known, are flattened grubs 

 with distinct antenna? and several simple eyes, the terminal seg- 

 ment ending in hooks or tubercles. Like the mature beetles they 

 live under bark, and some of them are carnivorous, feeding upon 

 mites, podurids and small larva 3 of wood-boring beetles, so that in 

 general they may be regarded as beneficial. However, two of the 

 beetles, tfilroinif; suriiittnK n*ix, and ('ittliurl us adrcua, infest stored 

 grain, dried fruits and other stores, and are therefore often quite 

 injurious. 



The principal literature treating of the North American forms 

 is as follows: 



Lc-Coittc "Revision of the ('ui-niides of the United States," 

 in. Pro,-. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., VII. 1Sf>4. 73-7!). 



Cascij. ""Revision of the (ucujida- of America North of 

 Mexico." l,i Trans. Amer. Kut. Soc., XI, 18S4, 00-112. 



Wicl,-Ji(iin. "The Ciicujid;e of Ontario and Quebec," in Can. 

 Knl. XXVII. lS!>f>. 25-29. 



