SAW-HORNED WOOD BEETLES. 93 



2(1 Tribe. Aberrant icood-beefles. Xyloteogi partly, Latreille. Body 

 short, with the head bent uuder the thorax, or elougate, with the heail 

 tVeo. AiiteiiiiJi' various. I'^imilics : Ptiiiidii', Lyiiu'xvlouida', Ivhii»i('e- 

 ridii' and (.'ui)esi(h«'. 



.'5(1 Tribe. Soft-ichuied prnhiccous hertlrs. MalacodeK3J1, Latreille. 

 Head free, but often jtartly or wholly <'«)vered by the thin anterior mar- 

 gin of tiie thorax. Antennie serrate or tilifonu. Botly more or less 

 elongated, and depressed, soft, and with flexible elytra. Anterior coxte 

 conical and prominent, with large troeliautius.* Families: Lampyridte, 

 Telephoridie, Melyrida^, Clerithe, Dascyllidae. 



Tribe TX. 



SAW HORNED WOOD BEETLES. 



Lignivora serricornid. Steknoxi, Latreille. 



The teim Sternoxi, meaning shnrp-hrcastefl^ given to these insects by 

 Latreille, refers to their most <listinetive character, namely, the exten- 

 siim of the pro-sternum or front breast-plate, backwards in the form of 

 a sharp point, which is received into a corresponding notch or cavity in 

 the meso-sternum. The sternum is also much advanced in front, and 

 the fore legs are set remarkably far back from its anterior e<lge. The 

 anterior coxa^ or hii)-pieees are almost globular, but not prominent. 

 The antenna' are rather short, sometimes distinctly serrate, and some- 

 times simply liliform. The legs are short and capable of being con- 

 tracted closely ui)on the body. They are of an oblong form, and usually 

 of a very hard consistency. The larva' will be described under their 

 rt'spective families. They are vegetable feeders, and are generally found 

 ill wood in a state of partial decay. The two first fan)ilies are numerous 

 ill species, but the ('ebrionida' are few and raie, and no species has 

 l>eeii found in the Noithern States. 



They comprise the three following families : 

 A. liody very lirm ; prosternal jioiut elougated; alulomcn willi live st'irinonts. 



15. Prosteiuiil i)oint imm<nal)lc; anteniiiv finely srrratc; anterior and middle legs 



with troehantins ; colors metallic Hupkestid-k. 



JJ B. Prosternal point movable; antenna' often filiform; legs without troehantins; 

 eolors generally brown or black, and with the surface usually linely pu- 

 bescent Klatkuid.k. 



A A. IJoily moderately lirm; proslernal i)oiiil short; abdomen with six segments: 



CeBRIONID/K. 



■ The trocluintiu is an ndJitional or superunmi'tary Jiiiiit between the coxie and the thigh, giving 

 the latter the appearanee of being composed of two pieces. 



