SOFT-WINGED PREDACEOUS-BEETLES. 107 



row yellowish border, and suture. ]\Ir. Kiley lias shown that it is lumin- 

 ous in the larva and impa as well as the [lerfect state. It is common in 

 the latitude of Southern Illinois; but farther north and east its i>lace is 

 to a j^reat extent supplied by a very similar but much smaller species, 

 the F. sclntillans, Say. The 1*. anyulala^ Say, is as large as the piifulis^ 

 and is distinguished by its generally paler color, the wider yellow mar- 

 gin of the elytra, and by the extreme margin of the thorax being clouded 

 with i)lack. Certain species which (like the P. pcnsulvanlca, of DeCleer), 

 have the head but partially covere<l by the thorax, were placed in a 

 separate grouj* by Dejean, to which the name Photuris wassubse<iuently 

 given by LeCoute. The genus is retained by Lacordaire, but it is aban- 

 dont'd by Dr. LeConte himself, in his work on the Classitication of the 

 Coleoplera. 



The Lampi/ris plumona, of Olivier, is thetyi)eof the remarkable gen us 

 Fhcntjodes^ 1 1 oil". The antenna' are beautifully plumose, and the elytra 

 are abruptly narrowed to a point, and do not extend more than a third 

 the length of the abdomen. It is half an inch long and of a brownish 

 color. Six other s[)ecies are known which inhabit South America. La- 

 cordaire states that these insects possess luminous properties, but Lo- 

 conte (juestions this, as none of the ventral segments exhibit the usual 

 sulphur yellow color in the dried specimens. In the specimens in my 

 collection, the ventral segments are black iu the middle, and fulvous or 

 tawny yellow at the sides, with a narrowed portion at the base of each 

 segment of a lighter yellow color, and this may possibly be the seat of 

 the i)hosphoreseuce. 



Subfamily TET.EPnORIDKS. 



In this sub-family the head is usually wholly uncovered by the thorax, 

 and narrowed behind into a short neck. They are more active than the 

 other Lampyrida', and are often found u[)on llowers, or running over 

 the surface of leaves in search for their prey, which seems to consist 

 mostly of the soft larvai of other insects. 



A . Heart partially covered by the thor.'uc ; maxilliu elongated and extensile ; elytra yellow with a lar|;e 



black stput or atripe Ciiai'lioonathus, U sh 



A A. Uoatl wholly uncovered ; maxilLi- normal ; elytra black, sometiiuea with a narrow yellow border. 



1?. 11. ad with a distinct nock; size various Teliu'IIOki s, Ti. 



U 15. Hi-ail without visible neck ; size small Sii.is, 3. 



The genus Chardiognathiis, llent/, is remarkable for the extensile 

 maxilhe, apparently analogous to the elongated maxilhe and labium of 

 bees, with which they lap the honey of llowers. Indeed, the perfect in- 

 sects are usually found upon tlowers, especially those of the golden rod, 

 upon which they have been said to feed; in which case they form an 

 exception to the carnivorous habits of the family in which they are 

 placed. The beetles, however, are furnished with sharp curved mandi- 

 bles like other Telephorides, and the larvae are known to be pre-emi- 



