AMERICAN COLEOPTEEA. 17 



tion, other characters are seen in these insects not found in the other 

 sub-families. 



The elytra are frequently costate and coarsely reticulate with fine 

 elevated lines forming a coarse net work, or more usually a regularly 

 goffered surface. The head is sometimes prolonged in front of the eyes 

 into a long narrow beak, which in other species becomes broad and short 

 and in many of the species entirely disappears. The mandibles are feeble, 

 slender and acute, the palpi are unequal and the eyes larger in the % 

 than 9 , though never very large ; they are widely separated above and 

 beneath. The antennj^ are eleven-jointed, but the second joint is some- 

 times very short and inconspicuous ; they are frequently very broad and 

 compressed, and the joints 3 — 10 occasionally emit broad branches, more 

 slender and longer in the % than in the $ ; frequently too, they are 

 only slightly compressed and subserrate, in this case the second joint is 

 very distinct and one-half as long as the third. The sexual characters 

 are simple ; the ventral segments are seven in the $ , the seventh being 

 lai-ge and slightly nicked at the tip ; they are eight in the % , the seventh 

 being broadly and strongly emarginate, and the eighth elongate-oval, 

 moderate in size and prominent. There are slight differences in the form 

 of the two last segments of % in our species, but as they are readily 

 recognized by other characters I have not deemed it prudent to encumber 

 the tables with minutiae of such small import which would probably 

 tend to confuse the student. 



The genera represented in our fauna may be divided into three 

 natural groups : the first is typical and peculiar, the second tends to the 

 Lampyridae (gen.), and the tJiird to the Telephoridae. 



Prothoracic spiracle not proiiiiiicnt 2. 



Prothoraeie .spiracle with tubular ohitinous peritreme, verj^ 23™'iii^i6ii*' ^^^ ^^^ usual 

 position of the epimeron, behind and at the outer extremity of the front 

 coxse, (excejit in Coenia) Lyci. 



2. — Elytra costate, cancellate or reticulate Erotes. 



Elytra substriate, not costate or cancellate Lygistoptrri. 



Group 1. — Li/ci. 



Front prolonged, beak more or less distinct, mouth anterior 2. 



Front gibbous between the antenna?, mouth detlexed, inferior, beak wanting 4. 



2.— Beak long 3. 



Beak short RHYNCHEROS n. g. 



3. - Antennse with third joint as long as fourth and fifth LYCUS. 



Antennte with third joint scarcely longer than fourth LYCOSTOMUS. 



4.— Antennse much compressed CALOPTERON. 



Antennse pectinate; spiracle prominent CELETES. 



Antennse pectinate; spiracle not prominent CffiNIA. 



TRANS. AMER. ENT. SCO. IX. (3) MARCH, 1881. 



