DERMESTIDAE. 107 



joints prolonged beneath into a membranous lobe, and the fourth 

 joint small, and by the claws being armed with a large basal 

 tooth ; the plate of the hind coxae is very feebly developed. The 

 species are found on flowers. They are small, oval, brown, pu- 

 bescent insects. The prosternum is not lobed in front, and the 

 coxal cavities are narrowly closed behind, and not completed, as 

 in the next sub-family, by the mesosternum. 



The position of this genus is much disputed. Erichson placed 

 it in Melyridae, with which it seems to have but small affinity ; 

 Duval places it in his family Telmatophilidoa, which is composed 

 of heterogeneous elements, having no relation with each other; 

 but by Redtenbacher and Lacordaire it is considered as belong- 

 ing' here, though the characters seem to me to warrant its being 

 considered as a separate sub-family. The Chilian genus Dio- 

 dontolobus has the ungues also armed with a tooth, but the de- 

 scription leaves it uncertain whether the place for it is in this or 

 the next sub-family. 



Sub-Family II.— DERMESTIDAE (genuini). 



The tarsi are not lobed beneath, the fourth joint is scarcely 

 smaller than the third, and the ungues are simple. The anterior 

 coxal cavities are widely open behind, and are completed by the 

 mesosternum, which is usually protuberant. The prosternum 

 generally is lobed in front. 



Four groups are indicated : — 



No frontal ocellus. Dermestes. 

 Frontal ocellus distinct ; 



Middle coxse not very distant ; prosternal fossa? obsolete. Attageni. 

 Middle coxae widely separated ; 



Mouth protected by sternum. Antureni. 



Mouth protected by anterior legs. Orphili. 



Group I. — Dermestes. 



The single genus Dermestes constitutes this group. It is repre- 

 sented in every part of our territory by several species. The head 

 a without frontal ocellus; the prosternum is not lobed in front; 

 the cavities for the reception of the antennae are large, and placed 

 at the anterior portion of the sternum ; it is not prolonged behind 

 the coxae ; the mesosternum is acute in front, and protuberant, so 



