240 



COLEOPTERA 



some forty or fifty species, found chiefly in Europe and North 

 America. Wc have three in Britain ; one of these, Mycefarn, 

 hirta is very common, and may be found in abundance in cellars 

 in the heart of London, as well as elsewhere ; it is said to have 

 injured the corks of wine-bottles, and to have caused leakage 

 of the wine, but we think that it perhaps only increases some 

 previous deficiency in the corkage, for its natural food is fungoid 

 matters. The larva is remarkable on account of the clubbed 

 hairs at the sides of the body. 



Fam. 41. Latridiidae. — Tarsi three-jointed ; anterior coxa! 

 cavities round, not proIvn(jed, externally ; ahdomen vjith Jive visible 

 and niohile ventral seynients. Very small Insects, species of whicli 

 are numerous in most parts of the world, the individuals being 

 sometimes very abundant. The larvae (Fig. 120, A) are said by 

 Ferris to have the mandibles replaced by fleshy appendages. The 

 pupa of Latridius is remarkable, on account of the numerous long 

 hairs with heads instead of points ; the larva of Cortiearia is 

 very like tliat of Latridius, but some of the hairs are replaced I)}' 

 obconical projections. The sul:)-family Monotomides is by many 

 treated as a distinct family ; they have the elytra truncate l:)ehind, 

 exposing the pygidium, and the coxae are very small and very 

 deeply embedded. Most of the Latridiidae are belie^■ed to live on 

 fungoid matters ; species of Monotonia 

 live in ants' nests, but probably have 

 no relations with the ants. A few 

 species of Latridiides proper also main- 

 tain a similar life; Cohioeera formiearia Tg^^H 

 is said to be fond of the stores laid up 

 by Ajjhctenoyaster struetor in its nests. 

 About 700 species are now known ; 

 scarcely any of the individuals are more ^■ 



than one-tenth of an inch long. AVe Fig. 120.— Latndius mimUus. 

 have about 40 s})ecies in Britain. The 

 North American genus Stejdiostethus has 

 the prosternum constructed behind the coxae, somewhat in the 

 same manner as it is in the Ehynchophorous series of Coleoptera. 



Fam. 42. Adimeridae. — Tarsi ajjpeariny only two-Jointed, 

 a hroad hasal Joint and an. elongate elaw-hearing Joint, hut letween 

 the two there are two very small Joints. This family consists 

 only of the American genus Adimerus ; nothing is known of 



Britain. A, Larva (after 

 Perris) ; B, perfect Insect. 



