246 



COLEOPTERA 



aftenvards become powder. The larvae of Ijotli of our British 

 genera, Sphindus and Aspidijphorvs, have been described by 

 Peri'is, who considers them allied to the fungivorous Silphidae 

 and Latridiidae. The systematic position of these Insects has 

 been the sul)jeet of douljt siiice the days of Latreille. 



Fam. 52. Bostrichidae (Apatidae of some authors).— 7'«r.s/ 

 five-jointed, hut the first joint very short and imiierfectly separated 

 from the second; front coxae proniinent, con- 

 tiguous, very little extended transversely; five 

 visible ventrcd seginents. The Bostrichidae 

 attack dry wood, and sometimes in such 

 large numbers that tinil)er is entirely 

 destroyed by them ; most of them make 

 cylindrical burrows into the wood. The 

 larvae have the posterior part of the 

 body incurveil, and resem1)le the wood- 

 boring larvae of Anobiidae rather than 

 the predaceous larvae of Cleridae. We 

 follow Leconte and Horn in placing 

 Lyctides as a division of Bostrichidae ; 

 although differing very much in appear- 

 ance, tliey have similar habits and larvae. 

 The typical Bostrichides are remarkable 

 for their variety of sculpture and for the 

 shapes of the posterior part of the body : 

 this part is more or less conspicuously truncate, and furnished 

 with small prominences. Dinapate vriyhtii, found in the stems 

 of a species of Yucca in the Mojave desert of California, attains 

 a length of nearly two inches ; its larva is extremely similar to 

 that of A. capuci7ia. Some of the forms (Fhonapate) stridulate 

 in a manner peculiar to themselves, by rubbing the front leg 

 against some projections at the hind angle of the prothorax. Up- 

 wards of 200 species of the family are known. In Britain we 

 have only four small and aberrant forms. 



Fam. 53. Ptinidae. — Tarsi fire-jointed, first JD hit not reduced 

 in size, often loiiyer than second ; front and middle coxae smcdl, 

 not transversely extended, tlte former sliglitly prominott ; fire 

 visible ventral segments ; prosternum very short. Here are in- 

 cluded two sub - families, Ptinides and Anobiides ; they are 

 considered as distinct families by many authors, but in the 



Fig. 125. — Ajintc capucina. 

 Europe. A, Larva (after 

 Perris) ; B, perfect In- 

 sect. 



