TROGOSITIDAE. 153 



Meposterniini separating tlic coxtv, side pieces extending 

 to the coxro. 



Metasternum ernarginate behind, for junction witli the 

 first ventral segment ; side pieces long, narrow ; epiinera 

 not visible. 



Elytra never truncate, always covering the abdomen. 



Abdomen with five free velit^'al segments. 



Anterior coxoi transverse, separated, and not prominent ; 

 middle and posterior ones transverse. Hat, the former sepa- 

 rated, the latter rarely contiguous. 



Legs moderate; tarsi 5-jointed, not dilated; joints 1-4 

 with a brush of hair beneath; first joint very sliort, second 

 usually slightly elongated, last joint very long; claws simple, 

 with a broad but short bisctosc onychium. 



The insects of this family were classed bj^ Efichson with Niti- 

 dulidtc, hut, as vcmt properly observed by Lacordairo, altliouj^ii 

 the characters are mostly the same as in that fanu'ly, the difl'ercnt 

 plaa of structure in the maxilla) and tarsi is sufficient to mark 

 them as a distinct fauiily. 



The species live under bark; but some Tenebrioides arc found 

 in houses, living on grain, by the transportation of which they 

 have Ijccn distributed over the e^itire globe. 



Of the four recognized tribes of this family but two are found 

 in our fauna. 



Head relatively large, eyes not prominent ; form elini<;at(>, innrgiiis n-ct 



explanate. Tkogositim. 



Head small, eyes pj-oniineiit ; form oval, margins exj)lanate. Peltini. 



Tribe I.— TROGOSITIIVI. 



Elongate insects, having the thorax narrowed posteriorly,, and 

 somewhat distant from the elytra ; the epistome is trisinuatc <m- 

 emarginato in front; the last tlu-ee joints of the antemia) form a 

 loose club, usually dentate internally; they arc 11-jointed, exeejit 

 in two foreign species of Nemosoma. The anterior coxas arc 

 entirely inclosed. 



Eyes rounded. Nemosoma. ~ 



Eyes transverse ; 



Tibifc spinons. Alindria. 



Tibite not spinous ; 



Thorax truncate at apex, the lateral margin detlexed at middb^ 



Trogosita. 

 Thorax ernarginate at apex, tlie lateral margin not deflexcMl. 



Tenebrioidea 



