582 FAMILY XXIII. MYCETOPHAGIDJE. 



1110 (3390). EPHISTEMUS APICALIS Lee., N. Sp. N. A. Col., I. 1SG3, 72. 



Oval, convex. Black or piceons-black, shining, without punctures ; ely- 

 tra gradually feebly paler on apical half; legs and antenna paler. Thorax 

 transverse, the sides evenly curved. Elytra one-third wider than thorax 

 and about three times as long, the tips narrowly rounded. Length 1 mm. 



Lake, Parke and Marion counties; scarce. April 23- July 1. 



Family XXIII. MYCETOPHAGID.E. 

 THE HAIRY FUNGUS BEETLES. 



To this family belong a limited number of small, oval, slightly 

 convex beetles, which live on fungi and beneath bark. They have 

 the upper surface hairy and densely punctured and the elytra are 

 In-own or blackish, usually prettily marked with yellow spots or 

 bands, or yellow with black spots. The name. Mycetophagida, is 

 from two Greek words meaning "fungus" and "to eat," and is in- 

 dicative of the habits of the insects. 



The principal distinguishing characters of the 

 Myeetophagids are the ll-jointed antenna 1 , inserted 

 immediately in front of the eyes, the outer joints 

 gradually or suddenly enlarged; eyes rather large, 

 with coarse facets; thorax as wide as elytra at base; 

 elytra covering the abdomen and rounded at tip ; 

 front coxa 1 oval, rounded, narrowly separated, the 

 cavities either widely open or closed; middle coxa- 



rounded, narrowly separated; hind coxa? trans- 

 Fig. 218. Litargus In- '. -. 



i'lxn'itus. A European verse ; abdomen with rive tree ana equal ventral 



species. (After Sharp.) ., 



segments; legs slender, tibiae nearly linear, with 

 small terminal spurs; tarsi filiform. 4-jointed, the front ones of the 

 males 3-jointed, more or less dilated and pubescent beneath. (Fig. 

 218.) 



As already noted under the family Cryptophagida?, the genus 

 Diplocod'us has been transferred from this family to that; while 

 the species listed by Henshaw under the genus Trii>ln/Uu-s have been 

 shown by Casey to belong to the family Melandryida?, and the one 

 under Berginus to the Ptinidas. This lea.ves but five genera, and, 

 according to Casey's list, about 25 species of Mycetophagidas from 

 North America. Only about 100 species are known from the entire 

 world. 



The principal literature treating of the North American species 

 is as follows; 



