THE OIL AND BLISTER BEETLES. 1353 



six of these beetles close together near the margin of a wheat field. 

 One female had the abdomen partly buried in the soft, recently 

 ploughed earth, and on removing her I found a circular mass of 

 yellow eggs, 150 or more in number. Say states that americanus 

 is "not uncommon and is sometimes gregarious in great numbers." 



2511 (S012). MELOE ANGUSTICOLLIS Say. Journ. Phil. Acacl. Nat. Sci., Ill, 



1824, 280; ibid. II, 166. 



Head and thorax dark blue; elytra and abdomen violaceous. Head 

 alutaceous, finely, deeply and very sparsely punctured. Thorax one-half 

 narrower than head and nearly one-half longer than wide; sparsely and 

 deeply punctate and, in male, with two small impressions 1 each side of mid- 

 dle. Elytra finely and shallowly rugose. Length 12-15 mm. 



Vigo County; scarce. September 18. The adults are said to 

 feed upon the leaves of the buttercup. This and the preceding spe- 

 cies are often confused in collections, and Wickham evidently has 

 the names transposed in his table of Canadian species. Say states 

 that both head and thorax of anyusticollis are "strikingly narrower 

 than the body, ' ' while LeConte says that the thorax is nearly one- 

 half longer than wide, both of which statements are true of this, but 

 not of americanus. 



Subfamily II. CANTHARINAE. 



In addition to characters given in the key, the species of this 

 subfamily have the body much more slender and the elytra meeting 

 evenly along the suture ; claws cleft to base, the upper portion some- 

 times pectinate. Representatives of four of the five tribes (sub- 

 tribes) and seven of the 24 genera, recognized by LeConte and 

 Horn, occur in the State. 



KEY TO INDIANA TRIBES OF CANTHARIN.E. 



a. Front not prolonged beyond the base of antenme; labium small, scarce- 

 ly visible; elytra (in our species) dull red. 



Tribe I. HOUIINI. p. K.54. 



aa. Front prolonged; frontal suture and labrum distinct. 

 It. Mandibles prolonged beyond the labrum, acute at tip. 

 c. Elytra entire; tarsal claws cleft. 



Tribe II. XKMO<;NATHHX"I. p. l.">54. 



cc. Elytra rudimentary; wings wanting; tarsal claws simple. 



Tribe III. SITAKINI. ]>. 1.",57. 



bb. Mandibles not prolonged, obtuse; elytra entire; antenme straight. 

 in it thickened toward the apex. Tribe IV, CANTHARINI. p. 1 '!"". 



