378 CLASSIFICATION OF THE CARABID.E 



In form, this little insect exactly resembles Plochionus, but the head is more suddenly 

 constricted behind : the strong spurs of the tibia? approximate it more nearly to Tetrago- 

 noderus: the ligula is precisely as in Lebia, that is, with the paraglossia entirely connate: 

 the mentum as in Lebia, with a large indistinct tooth. The only species known to me is : — 



N. elegans, flavo-testaccus, elytris profunde striatis, interstitiis convexis, atris margine tcnui late- 

 rali, apice late, maculaque utrinque magna antica usque ad medium extensa flavis. Long. *18. 



One specimen from Illinois, Mr. Willcox ; a second found by me in Upper Georgia: the 

 elytra are marked very much as in Lebia axillaris Dcj,; the anterior spot extends from the 

 middle nearly to the base; its outer margin is parallel with the side of the elytron; its in- 

 ner margin is rounded. 



The second division of this group consists of insects which live in the ground under 

 stones and leaves, but occasionally are found under bark of dead trees: one genus alone 

 (Coptodera,) is said to occur on plants. 



These insects differ from the preceding genera, in having the head but slightly con- 

 stricted behind the eyes, and by no means furnished with a distinct neck: the mentum has 

 a membrane filling up the emargination, so that the tooth is more or less indistinct: the 

 palpi are flattened at tip, or acuminate, so that in one direction their apex appears sharp. 

 Owing to the indistinctness of the characters derived from the mouth, and the variable 

 form of the ungues of the tarsi in closely allied species, the genera of this group are in 

 a moderate state of confusion. In all of our genera, the tarsi arc entirely filiform: the 

 ligula is variable in form, some of the genera having connate paraglossse, others having 

 them free at the apex. 



Palpi labiales cylindrici. 



Tibia; intermedial spinulosfe, thorax basi truncatus - - Tetragonoderus Dej. 



Tibia; intermedia; non spinulosa-, thorax basi truncatus. 



Mentum dentatum, ungues pectinati ... Coptodera Dej. 



Mentum non dentatum, ungues pectinati - - Dromius Bon. 



Mentum vix dentatum, ungues simplicissimi - - Apristus C/iaud. 



Thorax basi lobatus, ungues subserrati .... Metabletus Schmidt. 



Palpi labiales crassi, ungues plus minusvc serrati - - Axinopalpus Lee. 



Coptodera and Dromius come very near together, so much so that I have been unable 

 to find any distinct character to separate them: besides the slight and uncertain character 

 in the mentum, the palpi of Dromius appear to be thicker, and the spurs of the tibia; less 

 developed. 



Telragonodcrus contains two native species: T. i n t e r s e c t u s Lee. (Lecontei Dej. : 

 Brmbiditim inlcrscctam Germ. Ins. Nov. 28,) and T. fasciatus Lee.; {Coptodera fasc. 

 Hald, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. 1, 298: T/n/rcoptcrusfasc. Lcc. Ann. Lye. 4, 197.) 



The differences between the American species of Axinopalpus, Apristus, and Metafile- 



