rOLY.MORPRA SCAPHIDIIDAE — SYNTELIIDAE 



229 



X 



Fi(_;. 108. — Sccqihisoma agari- 

 cinum. J3ritain. A 

 Larva (after Pe.rris) ; B 

 perfect Insect. 



Fam. 24. Scaphidiidae. — Front coxae small, conical; 2^rothorax 

 rcr// cloiiclp applied to tlie after-body ; kind coxae transverse, v:idely 

 separated : abdomen with six or seven visible ventral plates ; 

 antennae at the extremity with about Jive joints that become 

 graduedly broader. 2'arsi five-jointed. This family consists of a 

 few beetles that live in fungi, and run with extreme rapidity ; 

 they are all small, and usually rare in collections. Some of the 

 exotic forms are remarkable for the ex- 

 treme tenuity and fragility of the long 

 antennae, wliicli bear fine hairs. The 

 number of described species does not at 

 present reach 200, but the family is very 

 widely distributed. We have three or 

 four species in Britain. All we know of 

 the larvae is a description of that of 

 Scccphisoma agaricinum by Ferris ; ^ it is 

 like the larva of Staphylinidae, there are 

 nine abdominal segments in addition to a 

 very sliort, broad pseudopod, and very short 

 cerci. This larva feeds on agarics ; it goes through its development 

 in about three weeks ; unlike the adidt it is not very active. 



Fam. 25. Synteliidae. — Antennae clavicorn, with very large 

 iiub : labiicm, with Jtypoglottis and the parts beyond it, exposed. 

 Front coxae transverse. Abdomen with five visible ventrcd segments, 

 and eight or nine dorsal, the based fonr of which are scmi-corneoiis. 

 This family includes only five species ; its clas- 

 sification has given rise to much difference 

 of opinion. We have, after consideration 

 of all its characters, established it as a 

 distinct family " allied to Silphidae. The 

 perfect Insects live on the sap running from 

 trees : but nothing else is known of their 

 natural history. Like so many others of 

 the very small families of aberrant Cole- 

 optera, it has a very wide distribution ; 

 Fig. im.—SynteUa toest- ^yntelia being found in Eastern Asia and 

 'voodi. Mexico. (From Mexico, whilc the sub-family Sphaeritides 



Biol. Centr. Amer.) . , . . -^ , 



North America. 



occurs, as a single species, in Europe and 

 The earlier instars are unknown. 



^ Larvesdc ColeopUrcs, 1878, p. 11, pi. i. 



Biol. Ccntr. Amcr. Col. ii. pt. i. j). 438. 



