234 COLEOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 



genera: Spliindus occurs also iu Europe, and Odontospliindus 

 in California. 



Body glabrous, sides of protliorax with six or seven teeth ; flanks not con- 

 cave for reception of antennae. Odontosphindus. 



Body finely pubescent; sides of protliorax entire; flanks slijjlitly con- 

 cave. Sphindus. 



Body broadly oval, clothed with erect hairs; sides of prothorax eiitiie, 

 flanks deeply concave. Eursyphindus. 



Fam. LIL— lucanidae. 



Mentum large, corneous, quadrate, rarely (Passal us) deeply 

 emarginate; ligula usually placed behind the mentum, 



Maxillos usually covered, with two lobes, the inner one 

 usually, the outer one sometimes, with a fixed corneous 

 terminal hook. 



Mandibles frequently very large. 



Labrum frequently connate with the epistoma; clypeal 

 suture wanting. 



Antenn£e inserted under the margin of the front, before 

 the eyes, usually geniculate, 10-jointed; the first joint very 

 long in the first tribe, moderate in the second ; the outer ones 

 prolonged internally, forming a pectinate club, the joints of 

 which cannot be brought closely together. 



Prothorax with the side pieces not separate; coxal cavi- 

 ties separated by the prosternum, transverse, closed behind. 



Mesosternura short, separating the coxas; side pieces large, 

 diagonally divided; epimera attaining the coxa?. 



Metasternura large, closely connate with the mesosternum 

 in front, receiving the apex of the first ventral segment in a 

 minute emargination behind ; side pieces narrow; epimera 

 nearly concealed by the elytra. 



Elytra rounded at tip, covering the abdomen. 



Abdomen with five free ventral segments; the sixth (in- 

 ternal) slightly prominent in Platycerus; spiracles situated 

 in the membrane between ventral and dorsal segments, but 

 different in position in the tAvo tribes; in Lucanini they are 

 at the bottom of the lateral concavity of the dorsal surface 

 of the abdomen; in Passalini they are situated on the crest 

 of the margin. 



Legs fossorial ; anterior coxae large, transverse, not promi- 

 nent, without trochantin; middle coxae usually transverse, 

 sometimes nearl}'- rounded; posterior coxae transverse, flat; 



