COLEOPTERA 



509 



The family MONOTOMID^ is composed of small, depressed 

 beetles, found mostly under the bark of trees, but some species live 

 in the nests of ants. The wing-covers are truncate behind, leaving 

 the last abdominal segment exposed. There are nearly forty described 

 North American species. 



Family CUCUJID^ 



The Cucujids 



The insects of this family are very flat and usually of an elongate 

 form; most of the species are brown, but some are of a bright red 

 color. As a rule they are found under bark and are believed to be 

 carnivorous both in the larval and adult states; but some 

 feed in grain. There are nearly one hundred species in our 

 fauna. 



The most conspicuous of our common species is 

 Cucujus clavipes (Fig. 607). This insect is about 12 mm. 

 in length and of a bright red color, with the eyes and an- 

 tennae black and the tibiag and tarsi dark. 



The most important member of this family is the com 

 silvanus, Silvdnus surinamensis , which is one of the small 

 beetles that infest stored grain. This species is readily distinguished 

 from other small beetles with similar habits by its flattened form and 

 the saw-like edges of the prothorax. Besides grain it often infests 

 dried fruits and other stores. It measures from 2.5 mm. to 3 mm. in 

 length. The larva as well as the adult feed on grain. It differs from 

 the larva of the granary -weevil (Calendra) in the more elongate form 

 of its body and in the possession of three pairs of legs. 



Family EROTYLID^ 

 The Erotylids 

 The members of this family are usually of moderate or small size; 

 but some species are quite large, measuring 18 mm. or more in 



Fig. 607. 



Fig. 608. 



^ 



Fig. 609. 



length. Some of our more common species are conspicuously 

 marked with shining black and red. 



To the genus Megaloddchne belong two common, large species, 

 which are black, with two dull red bands extending across the 



