CARAJBS AND TENEBRIONIDS. 245 



(a) Black or dark tenebrionids, which arc the 

 ones so easily confused with carabs until the antenUcT? 

 and back legs are examined. One of the common- 

 est of these is the Adclium, which is a bronzy-brown 

 colour, with punctures or pits in the elytra, and a 

 fine coating of soft hairs, giving the beetle a soft 

 bronze colour. 



(b) Metallic tenebrionids. — These are often very 

 pretty, of a bright bronze lustre, or sometimes green 

 and blue *'shot" colours. Many of these give out 

 an obnoxious odour when touched, and little boys 

 call such "stink beetles." Chalcoptcrus is the com- 

 monest variety, the name chalco-pterus suggesting 

 that the wings are coloured like "peacock copper 

 ore." 



The elytra are often very long in proportion to 

 the head and prothorax in some of these beetles. 

 These are often found in groups under loose bark 

 or in depressions in tree trunks. 



(c) Piedish tenebrionids. — These are black 

 beetles and vary from the huge piedish beetle found 

 out West (Helacits sub-serratus), (Plate 30, Fig. 2) 

 to the small ones found commonly under logs and 

 stones and which have just a little rim round the 

 edges. The Helseus has a regularly broad rim round 

 head, thorax and elytra, and the whole is soldered 

 to form a solid mass. It is wingless. Pterohelaetis 

 is the common smaller type. They are sometimes 

 called tortoise beetles. Most tenebrionids are found 

 in the ground under logs, or in crevices, or under 

 bark. 



