LAND SCAVENGER-BEETLES. 



(io 



color, usually found uuder the bark of decayinj^ trees. Their antennai 

 are short, but reacliing back, at most, beyond tlie middle of the thorax. 

 The club consists of three somewhat moniliform joints, not conspicuously 

 laryer than the i)receding ones. The tarsi are a})i)arently four jointe«l, 

 the tirst joint being so short that it cannot be seen from above; the last 

 joint is very long-, often as long as all the others united. In Trogosita 

 proper, the thorax is separated from the abdomen by a short neck or 

 strangulation. The larva of Trogosita is a whitisli Hattened grub, with 

 a pair of black spots on the top of the three first segments. The tail 

 terminates in two horny points. 

 JSTumber of X. A. species, forty. 



Family XX. CUCUJID^. 

 The insects of this family are most conspicuously distinguished by 



fFi.';. 27.] 



their very tlat bodies and by their })rojecting 

 mandibles. Antennte usually longer than 

 the head and thorax, filiform, and generally 

 granose or moniliform. In the small sub- 

 family of kSilvauides, the three last joints are 

 moderately enlarged. The tarsi, like those 

 of the preceding family, are apparently four 

 jointed, the first joint being very small. Both 

 c, ?,S-^..7bacr"and"«l!int'r^ of thcsc families are classed by Latreille with 

 -Xriuioy.''^^"^''''''"'^'^'^'''"'"the Tetramera. Most of these insects are 

 brown, but some of the Cucuji proper are of a bright red color. They 

 are found under the bark of trees, but the larvte, so far as they have 

 been observed, are found to be carni\'oroas. jNI. Ferris discovered the 

 larvjie oi Brontes pinnatus t'ot'ding upon Podura', acari, and the larvae of 

 the wood-boring beetles of the genus Tomicus. And in England, Mr. 

 C. C. Uabington and ]\lr. Westwoo<l saw the Cueujm teiitaceus in abund- 

 ance in granaries, from which, in connection with the similarity of the 

 larvte, we may conclude that they have the same useful habit as the in- 

 sects of the preceding family in counteracting the ravages of the de- 

 structive grain worms. 

 Xumber of described N. A. species, forty- two. 

 The following is a table of the principal genera : 



A. AnteuuiV nioiiilifonn, not tliii'kened at the tip, half na long as the body, or less ; size, more than 

 one-quaitcr of an inch in len;ith. 



B. Posterior auyiles of the head rounded and prominent ; color, scarlet CucuJtia. 



B B. I'o.sterior an<;les of the head not prominent; color, brown Catogkxcs. 



A A. Antemue sub-inoniliforui, more than half as long jis the body, usually a little thickened at the 



tip ; size, very small L.K.MoriiLOCLis. 



AAA. Autonme long and filiform, first joint elongated ; size, small Buoktes.* 



A A A A. Autennie with the last three joints forming aloose clnb ; size, very small Silvaxus. 



*This name, given to this genn.s by Fabricius, ia discarded in Mr. Crotch's Check List as having been 

 preoccupied, and Uliota, Latreille, substituted. 



—9 



