TENEBRIONIDAE. 225 



Anteunal ridges obliquely elevated ; (anterior part of front coria- 

 ceous, but not separate as a clypeus) ; 

 Metasternum sbort. XV. Meracanthini. 



Metasternum. long. XVI. Stkongyliini. 



It will be observed by the general student that the above-meu- 

 tioued tribes, with various foreign ones not represented in our 

 fauna, fall into three natural divisions : 1. Blaptoides, having 

 the flanks of the abdomen widely embraced by the elytra, and the 

 clypeus absent ; important foreign tribes of this division are typi- 

 fied by Pimelia and Scotobius. 2. Tenebrioides, having the in- 

 flexed portion of the elytra narrow, and the clypeus absent, con- 

 taining in our fauna tribes II — VIII. 3. Helopoides, having 

 the inflexed portion of the elytra narrow, and a distinct, coriaceous 

 clypeus between the front (or epistoma) and the labrum ; this 

 division includes the remaining tribes. 



Tribe I.— BLAPTINI. 



Body oblong, rarely oval, apterous ; head prominent, slightly 

 narrowed behind the eyes ; epistoma covering the base of the 

 mandibles at the sides ; labrum prominent ; mentum small, in- 

 serted upon a gular peduncle ; maxills exposed ; ligula partly 

 concealed ; maxillary palpi with the last joint securiform, not 

 very large ; eyes transverse, reniform, tolerably finely granulated ; 

 antennas 11-jointed, with the outer joints rounded, equal ; elytra 

 embracing widely the flanks of the abdomen, epipleurae narrow ; 

 middle coxae with large trochantin, side pieces attaining the coxal 

 cavities; metasternum very short, episterna narrow, epimera quite 

 distinct ; hind coxa? widely separated ; intercoxal process of ab- 

 domen rectangular ; third and fourth ventral segments not pro- 

 longed behind at the margin. Legs long ; anterior femora fre- 

 quently toothed ; tibial spurs distinct ; tarsi channelled and setose 

 beneath. 



In all of the genera found in our territory the mentum is tri- 

 lobed, the middle lobe projecting over the ligula, and the lateral 

 ones frequently bent inwards, so as to become scarcely visible. 

 Another character common to all our genera is that only the joints 

 9 — 11 of the antennae are rounded. 



Our genera are but three, each representing a separate group. 



Flanks of elytra not acutely margined ; Eleodes. 



Flanks of elytra acutely margined ; 

 15 



