LABLDUEID^. 



Family III. LABIDURID^. 



This family is well marked by the form of the pygidium. The 

 essential feature is, however, rather difficult to describe and to 

 illustrate ; the last dorsal segment is produced and folded down 

 between the branches of the forceps, so that the end of the body, 

 viewed from behind, has the appearance of a vertical triangular 

 plate, apex downwards ; this is the pygidium, and it consequently 

 does not assume the complex and varied forms of the same organ 

 in. other groups, in some of tlie Lahiida'. and Forficulida;, for 

 instance. It is practically invisible from above ; the fusion with 

 the last doi'sal segment is sometimes so complete that no suture 

 or ridge is visible. 



This is an extensive family comprising several well marked sub- 

 families, of which six are represented in India. 



Tcible of Subfamilies. 



1. Body very strongly depressed and 



flattened 1. Palicince, p. 67. 



1.1. Body not strongly flattened. 



2. Metasternum with posterior margin [p. 69, 



sinuate: (body covered withbristles). 2. Echinosomatina', 

 2.2. Metasternum with posterior margin 

 truncate. 

 3. Mesosternum rounded posteriorly . 3. Psalince, p. 73. 

 3.3. Mesosternum truncate posteriorly. 



4. Antennae with at least 25 seg- [p. 90^ 



ments. Elytra well developed. 4. Labidurince, 

 4.4. Antennae with not more than 15 



segments ; apterous forms. [p. 102. 



5. Last dorsal segment truncate. 5. Parisolabince, 

 5.5. Last dorsal segment with 



posterior margin emarginate [p. 105. 



and bilobed 6. Brachylahince, 



Subfamily I. PALICIN^. 



This subfamily comprises at present a single monotypic 

 genus which is very different in many features from the other 

 members of the Lahklurida'. In general appearance and the 

 strongly depressed body it so closely resembles the Sparattino' 

 that the only species was described as a Platylabia. In the 

 Labidurine antennae, and in the form of the tarsi, it approaches 

 Mecomera, but the form of the pygidium, which is adpressed 



r2 



