1SS2.1 '-'■*'-' [Jayne. 



Sub-Family I. — Byturid.e. 



BYTURUS, Latr. 



Head very large, front as wide as long ; no frontal ocellus. Mandibles 

 furnished with several teeth ; eyes very prominent, very large, coarsely 

 granulated, round, entire ; epistoma very short ; antennte 11 -jointed, ter- 

 minated by a three-jointed club. Thorax nearly as long as wide, anteri- 

 orly more than half as wide as at the base, which is somewhat bisinuate, 

 disc convex ; sides flattened, especially posteriorl^^ arcuate ; hind angles 

 rounded. Scutellum large, quadrate. Elytra three times as long as 

 wide; sides sub-parallel, apical angles acute. Prosternum very*short 

 and wide, not lobed in front, tip narrowly and sharply produced ; 

 continuous around and behind anterior coxae, enclosing them. Anterior 

 coxae prominent, slightly separated by the top of the prosternum. No 

 antennal fossoB, spaces between prosternum and lateral margins broad, 

 slightly concave. Mesosternum entire, broad and long, prolonged nar- 

 rowly behind between the middle coxie which are almost approximated. 

 Metasternum short, side pieces wide (fig. 1).* Legs stout, femora attaining 

 sides, slightly grooved beneath for the reception of the tibiae, tibia; 

 stout, terminal spurs strong. First joint of tarsus triangular, 2-3 pro- 

 longed beneath into a membranous lobe, 4 small nearly concealed by 3, 

 5 as long as the four preceding together ; the terminal claws are armed 

 with a large basal tooth (fig. 3). 



This genus, which is represented by two species — one from the Atlan- 

 tic district and one from the Pacific — dilfers greatly from all the rest of 

 genera in the family by the toothed mandibles, the absence of antennal 

 fossfE ; the anterior coxal cavities completed behind by the prosternum ; 

 the exceedingly large entire mesosternum, the feebly developed posterior 

 coxal plates, the tarsus with second and third joints lobed beneath, and 

 by the strong tooth of the ungues. There can be no doubt as to the posi- 

 tion of this genus ; its affinities with the rest of the Dermestida; are 

 marked. Erichson, however, placed it in the Melyridae, DuVal among his 

 Telmatophilidse and Crotch in the Nitidulidne. Redtenbacher and Lacor- 

 daire assign it to the present family. 



Our two species may be distinguished as follows : — 



Elytra uniformly light brown ; antennal club com- 

 pressed, second and third joints much wider than 

 long ; eyes very large aud prominent ; thorax 

 coarsely punctate , unicolor. 



Elytra marked by three transverse black bands ; anten- 

 nal club elongate, second and third joints fully as 

 long as wide ; eyes smaller, less prominent ; thorax 

 finely punctate grisescens. 



* The posterior coxas are short and wide, hut do not attain the sides, the coxal 

 plates are very leehily developed, not covering the temora (lig. 2). 



