106 AMERICAN COLEOPTEKA 



but little more has been published concerning their habits in the 

 mature state. They are known to occur in vegetable detritus, under 

 bark and stones, in commercial products and on various plants. 



The four primary or tribal divisions into which our fauna is 

 separable may be thus distinguished : 



Anterior eoxal cavities open behind. 



Front coxae separated by a prosternal lamina, antennae clavate, body not cos- 

 tate Merophyshni. 



Front coxae contiguous, their cavities confluent, antennae capillary, body 



costate Dasycerini. 



Anterior eoxal cavities closed behind. 



Epistoma on a lower plane than the front and separated from it by a deep 

 suture; body often costate, glabrous or virtually so (except Lathridiua 

 products and Enicmus hirtus), the bairs when present sparse and erect; 

 front coxae distinctly separated (except in Adistemia) . ■ .Lathridiini. 



Epistoma on the same plane as the front, separated from it by a distinct but 

 scarcely impressed suture: body never costate. always pubescent, the 

 hairs more or less inclined or recurved; front coxae less distinctly 

 separated, usually contiguous or nearly so Corticariini. 



Tribe 1. Merophysiini. 

 HOLOl'ARAilIKCUS Curtis. 



Of the nine genera included by Belon in this tribe, the present 

 alone has thus far occurred in North America. Its principal char- 

 acters are detailed below, and with few exceptions are those of the 

 tribe to which it belongs. 



Front smooth, epistoma on the same plane and separated by a 

 fine arcuate suture; eyes rather small; labial palpi 3-jointed ; an- 

 tennae 9-11 -jointed in our species, club 2-jointed. Prothorax nar- 

 rowed behind. Elytra elongate-ovate, widest in front of the middle : 

 body devoid of costse, very finely punctulate and with short, sparse, 

 fine pubescence; elytra with an entire sutural stria, but without 

 series of punctures. Front coxae distinctly separated, their cavities 

 open behind; middle coxae more widely separated; first tarsal joint 

 distinctly longer than the second, the third joint subequal to the 

 hrst two together. 



Our six species divide naturally into two groups, representing two 

 of the four subgenera entertained by Belon. In the first group — 

 Holoparamecus proper — besides the characters named in the table 

 below, the abdomen consists normally of five visible segments, the 

 sixth being rarely very slightly protruded; the first ventral is never 

 quite as long as the three following combined, and the longitudinal 



