THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 247 



In my specimen the third band is partly obsolete, and all are fainter 

 and paler than in the N. M. example ; the white spaces are wider, so 

 that the third and fourth bands are not approximate at either costa or 

 margin. 



Expanse, 32.5 mm. 



• 



THE COLEOPTERA OF CANADA. 



BY H. F. WICKHAM, IOWA CITY, IOWA. 



XIII. The CleriD/E of Ontario and Quebec. 



The CleridiB are a rather small family of beetles, but make up for 

 their comparative scarcity by the beauty of form and colour shown by 

 many of them. As a rule, they may be easily recognized by their 

 resemblance to a (ew common types such as are found in all cabinets, 

 and agree in possessing the following family characteristics : The 

 antennae are usually serrate, with the outer joints enlarged, forming an 

 open or more rarely a compact club ; the tarsi are five-jointed, the first or 

 fourth joint often very small and indistinct, all but the fifth furnished with 

 membranous appendages. The ventral segments are free, the first not 

 elongate, and the hind coxae are flat. In habits they are diverse, but most 

 of them may be found in the perfect state, during the summer months, on 

 flowers, leaves or freshly-cut timber, while Necrobia lives about dry 

 carrion, and may even at times do a certain amount of damage in 

 museums by preying upon dry specimens of various sorts, since the 

 species are easily carried from place to place, like Anthreiius. In this 

 way they were introduced from Florida into the museum of the University 

 of Iowa, and have continued to breed there in small numbers. The 

 larvce of Trichodes, Clerus, and allied genera are said to feed on the 

 young of other insects, and to be found in the nests of bees or under bark 

 of trees infested by wood-boring larva; of various sorts. 



A great many species of Cymatodera and allied forms do not extend 

 into high northern latitudes, and we find in consequence that the 

 Canadian fauna does not show a very good representation in the family, 

 only a little over thirty having been reported from the region under con- 

 sideration. These are included in thirteen genera which may be 

 separated by the following table. Care must be taken in the study of the 

 tarsi, though after a little practice a specimen can usually be placed in its 

 proper position without much trouble : — 



