PREDACEOUS GROUND-BEETLES. 



47 



Tlie next two genera resemble still more closelj' some of the Harpali- 

 dcs, but the structure of tlie tore-feet of the males places them in the 

 l)resent sub-family. They are easily (listin«;uisliL'(l, however, from the 

 great majority of the Uarpalides, by having the thorax nearly or (juite 

 as wide at base as the elytra. 



The meaning of the generic name Oo^hs. is, resembling the letter 0, the 

 species being of a regular oval form, and the thorax and elytra being of 

 l)recisely the same width and closely applied to each other. In this re- 

 spect they resemble the genus Anuira among the Uarpalides. The genus 

 lindiHter^ meaning a fast icalker^ is composed of a small number of pretty 

 little glossy reddish beetles, spotted with black, a style of coloration in 

 strong contrast with the usually dark colors of the Carabida;. 



Subfamily IIARPALIDES. 



The Harpalidcs, as here defined, embrace a very extensive group of 

 beetles, not much inferior in numbers to all the other sub-families com- 

 fFig. 13.] biued; and as they are most- 



IP /ffxv e / ly of black or dark metallic 



t^^ colors, and as their size is for 



the most part limited in its 



■r^li -frm-R range from a quarter of an 

 A® ^ li^ y IM) i„^,j to a little more than half 



Sl-1'1'0sf.1' I.AUVA OF TT.viirAi.us (in the act of devourinf: a . , . , ., , , 



Cuiciilio larva) :— J?, lieadseen from beneath : j, i, h, marks UU UXe.h lU leUgtll, and When 

 on uiiiler side of abdominal setrmeuts, bcconiing fewer to- i i . .1 • xi j. j.i • 



wards the tip— after W.al8h. We add tO tlllS that tUCMP 



most distinctive characters are restricted to the male sex, some idea can 

 be formed of the ditiiculty of classifying them, or of referring any par- 

 [v^'s.u.] ticular species to its proper location. Their 



distinctive character lies in the structure of the 

 tarsi of the males, Avhich often have both the 

 anterior and middle tarsi dilated, and instead 

 of having a uniform brush ui)on the under side, 

 they are furnished with two rows of little 

 __ transverse plates, or scale-like papillae, and the 

 hairs which border the sides of the tarsi are 

 usually coarser, or more bristly than they are 

 "oeet:-Th7m'd'el^^^^^^^ the Chheulides ; and the angles of the dilated 



thenndersideoftheai,teri..Ttar. : j^ ,,,0^.^ p,.,„|,i,ient. ThC first SCCtioU, 



BUS ot the male llarpalns, snow j " 1 ' 



"'f.iiH^ Nearti.'e "Lw'lhe l^owcvcr, or AuisodactiH, have the tarsi brushed 

 IllErfeiH? tlTe^ihrio^^ undcmeath like the ChliBuiides, but differ from 

 !'n:;ul'd s";:''atiu «;;^?theni in having the middle tarsi as well as the 

 ;u.-ie-afiei Kiiey. antcHor oucs dilated : and they moreover har- 



monize better with the Harpalides iutheir general aspect. 



