386 COLEOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 



abdomen triangular. Legs moderately long, tibiic slender, with- 

 out spurs. Anterior and middle tarsi with the first three joints 

 broader, ciliate beneath and at sides, nearly equal in length, the 

 third joint emarginate and excavated above, fourth joint small, 

 terminal joint as long as the first three, and with distinct bisetose 

 onychium ; claws large, stout; posterior tarsi with first joint 

 slightly elongiite, second emarginate and excavated, third small, 

 fourth nearly as long as the others together. EpipleurjE distinct, 

 not entire. 



This tribe contains but one described genus, with two species 

 in our fauna. They are small, brownish, glabrous insects, the 

 thorax narrower at base than the elytra, the latter with rows of 

 punctures. The males -have a small tooth on the inner side of 

 the tibia? near the tip. Both species occur in Florida. Others 

 are known in Mexico. 



'i'lie very distinct coriaceous margin of the clypeus, and a 

 similar structure of the mentum indicate the necessity of placing 

 this tribe near the Ilelopine series. By the structure of the 

 tarsi a tendency is shown to revert to the Heterotarsini, in which, 

 however, the penultimate joint is the Ijilobed one. 



Tribe XVI.— MERACAXTHIXI. 



Body ovate, convex, apterous ; head received in the thorax 

 nearly to the eyes, which are transverse, large, emarginate, and 

 somewhat coarsely granulated; mouth somewhat q^uadrangularly 

 prolonged ; front separated from the labrum by a coriaceous 

 clypeus ; sides dilated over the insertion of the antennae, and 

 obliquely elevated, elevation not extending to the anterior margin 

 of the front (as it does in all the preceding tribes); mentum tra- 

 pezoidal ; ligula prominent; last joint of palpi strongly secu- 

 riform ; antennge long and .-lender, outer joints very slightly 

 thicker; e])ipleurai narrow, not extending to the tip of the elytra; 

 nietasternum short; anterior coxse rounded; middle coxa? with 

 distinct trochantiii; hind coxa? widely separated; anterior thitrhs 

 armed with an obtuse tooth, less prominent in the female; tibial 

 spurs small ; tarsi pubescent beneath. 



This and the next tribe differ from all the others represented 

 in our fauna by a peculiarity first pointed out by Lacordaire, and 

 which led him to name the division of the fiimily, to which they 

 .appertain, Olidogenes. In all the tribes above described the sides 



