LATIIRIDIIDAE. 155 



Mesosternum short, emarginate behind; side pieces large, 

 diagonally divided; epimera attaining the coxso. 



Metasternura Isirge, side pieces narrow. 



Elytra truncate behind, leaving the last dorsal segment 

 exposed. 



Abdomen with five free ventral segments, the first and 

 fifth elongated. 



Coxse, anterior small, rounded, separated; middle rounded, 

 separated by the sternum ; posterior transverse, separated. 



Legs moderate; tibige nearly linear, with distinct terminal 

 spurs, and a few small spines about the tip; tarsi 3-jointed, 

 the joints 1-2 slightly dilated, and covered beneath with 

 long hair, the fourth narrower and smaller, the last longer 

 than the others united, with simple ungues. 



Small, depressed insects, found mostly under bark of trees. 

 They resemble closely in characters and appearance the tribe 

 Ivhizophagiiii of Nitidulidai, and, like them, the males have a 

 small tei'minal dorsal segment; tlie form of the anterior coxae at 

 once separates them from all Xitidulidaj. 



The genera are : — 



Head slightly prolonged behind the eyes, then suddenly constricted ; 2. 

 ll.!ad parallel behind the eyes, not at all constricted ; f). 



2. lutercoxal process of abdomen broad, feebly rounded in front ; 3. 

 Intercoxal process triangular, acute ; 4. 



3. Terminal joint of antennae suddenly broader, joiut nine not wider than 



eight. Monotonia. 



Last two joints enlarged ; 



Ninth joint as wide as the tenth ; tdytra irregularly puncturful. 



Phyconomus. 

 Ninth joint not as wide as tenth ; elytra jjunetured in striiv. 



Hesperobaenus. 



4. Ninth joint as wide as tenth; elytra punctured in stri;e. Europs. 



5. Last joint of antennae suddenly enlarged, ninth not wider than eiglitli ; 



elytra punctured in stria>. Bactridium. 



Fam. XXXIIL— lathridiidae. 



Mcntum large, transverse; liguhi indistinct; labial pal|)i 

 short, with two or throe joints; second joint large, rounded. 



Maxilla:^ with two lobes; palpi -i-jointed, last joint large. 



Antenna; inserted in front of the eyes in our genera, 

 9-11-jointed, the first and second joints thicker than the 

 third, the outer ones enlareced. 



