PREDACEOUS GROUND-BEETLES. 37 



Sub-sec. IY. Fectinicornes. Aiitenua' pectiuate or comb-toothed 

 Tribe (J. Stag beetles. 

 Family : LucaiiidiP. 



Sub-sec. V. Lame Hi comes. Antenuse lamellate. Food-liabits 

 different in the two tribes. 

 Tribe 7. Lamellicorn dun^-beetles. [Exercmcniivora lamcUlcor- 

 nia.) Saprophaga, MacLeay. 



Families: Copridie ; Aphodiida' ; Geotnipidu' ; Trogidre. 

 Tribe 8. Lamellicorn leaf-beetles. {Uerbivora lamcUicornia.) 

 THALEROPHACrA, MacLeay. 



Families : Dynastidie ; Rutelid;x> ; Melolonthida^ ; Cetoniida?. 

 SuB-SEC. VI. Serr icorncs . Antenna usually more or less ser- 

 rate or saw-toothed. Food- habits various. 

 Tribe 9. Saw-horned wood-beetles. {Lignivora serricornia.) 

 Sternoxt, Latreille. 

 Families: Buprestidte; Elaterida^ ; Cebrionidje. 

 Tribe 10. Aberrant wood-beetles. {Lignivora aberrantia.) 



Families: Ptinidie; Cupesidu'; Lymexylonida.'. 

 Tribe 11. Soft-winged predaceous beetles. (Carnivora mollipen- 

 iiata.) Malacodermi, Latreille. 



Families : Lamjiyridie ; Melyrida ; Cleridai. 



Fhst Subsection, JFILICOHIVEIS. 



Anteniiib filiform; jialpi appiireuUy six; habits predaceous. 



TllIHE I. 



riiEDAGEOUS GKOUND-BEETLES. 

 Carnivora terresfria. Geodephaga,* MacLeay. 



This extensive tribe of beetles is distinguished by their slender and 

 filiform, or slightlj^ tapering antenna, in connection with their live- 

 joiuted tarsi or feet, all the joints always being distinct even in the 

 smallest species; by having ai)pareutly six paljn; and by the promi- 

 nence of their large egg-shaped posterior trochanters, which furnish a 

 very distinctive and easily recognized character, and which no other 

 coh'opterous insects possess so conspicuously developed. (See Fig. 3, ou 

 page 27.) Xo insects have strictly more than four pali)i, and the api)ar- 

 ent additional pair which is peculiar to this and the following tribe, are 

 really the outer lobes of the maxilhc whicdi are here palpiform. They 

 are almost exclusively carnivorous in their diet, and pre eminently pre- 

 daceous in their habits, both in the larva and the perfect states. They 



♦ From the Greek yf^ the earth, and adrj^dyoq ravenous. 



