V EROTVLIDAE MYCETOPHAGIDAE COCCINELLIDAE 237 



ill forests. We have only six species in Britain, and tlie whole 

 of Europe has only about two dozen, most of them insignificant 

 (and in the case of the Dacnides aberrant, approaching the 

 Cryptophagidae very closely). The sub-family Languriides (quite 

 wanting in Europe) consists of more elongate Insects, Nvitli front 

 acetabula open behind ; they have different habits from Eroty- 

 lides proper ; some are known to live as larvae in the stems of 

 herbaceous plants. They possess a highly developed stridulating 

 organ on the front of the head. The Clavicorn I'olyniorpha are 

 very closely connected with the Phytophaga by Languriides. 



Fam. 37. Mycetophagidae.^^Vo-si four-jointed, slender, the 

 front feet of the male only three-Jointed ; coxeie oral, not deej^Ii/ 

 embedded: abdomen with five ventral see/- ^ , 

 ments, all viovahle. A small family, of in- ^S-^ Nar 



terest chiefly because of the anomaly in the "^^r ^.^ ^ Hl / 

 feet of the two sexes, for which it is ini- j W^- yHPy T 

 possible to assign any reason. The species ~k|^/1| 

 are small, uninteresting Insects that live ^^M^f il 

 chiefly on Cryptogams of various kinds, z^^ |v 

 especially in connection with timber ; the ^^^- /^ 

 larvae being also found there. There are ^^^_ U8.-L>ung.>,"b>fus. 

 about a dozen species in Britain, and datus. Mjcetophagidae. 



1 1 AA J MIX' n j-1 Britain. A, Larva (after 



scarcely 100 are described from all the Pen-is); B, perfect lusect. 



world. The Diphyllides, placed l)y Leconte 



and Horn in this family, seem to go better in Cryptophagidae. 



Fam. 38. Coccinellidae (Zadi/-hirds).—Te(rsi aj^imrently three- 

 jointed ; tlie first tivo joints 2)uhesce)it heneatli ; the third joint 

 consisting recdly of tico joints, the smcdl true third joint heing 

 inserted near the base of the seeond joint, the tipj)^'' surfecec of which 

 is grooved to receive it. Head much concecded by the thorax. 

 Antennae feebly clubbed. The lady-birds number fully 2000 

 species. The structure of their feet distinguishes them from 

 nearly all other Coleoptera except Endomychidae, which are much 

 less rotund in form, and have larger antennae. One genus of 

 Endoinychids — Panonioea — bears, however, a singular resemblance 

 to lady-birds, both in form and style of coloration. Several 

 species of Coccinellidae are remarkable on account of the 

 numerous variations in colour they present. Coccinellidae 

 frequently multiply to an enormous extent, and are of great 

 value, as they destroy wholesale the plant -lice, scale -Insects, 



