﻿80 BRITISH BEETLES. 



of the thorax (never exceeding three in each) also assists 

 in separating these insects. Q. dilatatus, a very large, 

 broad, black species, with slightly iridescent abdomen 

 and serrated antennae, is found occasionally in hornets' 

 nests, and also in the burrows of the larva of the goat- 

 moth, being evidently parasitic in its habits. Another 

 (and much smaller) species, Q. brevis, with red elytra, 

 tail, antennae, and legs, is of similar social propensities, 

 being found in ants' nests. Q. lateralis, next in size to 

 Q. dilatatus, found in rotten fungi and dung in the 

 autumn, is shining-black, with the reflexed side-margins 

 of its elytra yellowish. Q. truncicola, cruentus (Plate 

 IV, Fig. 3), scitus, and Icevigatus, are all subcortical 

 species ; the latter, a flattened, polished insect, occurring 

 under pine-bark in Scotland. 



The remaining species (with the exception of the 

 little Q. auricomus, conspicuous from its abdomen 

 being striped with rows of fine golden or silvery pu- 

 bescence, and which is found in wet moss, etc., near or 

 in waterfalls) offer no peculiarity of structure or habit : 

 they are mostly dull in colour, though sometimes having 

 red elytra, and occur in moss, haystacks, dead leaves, 

 dung, etc. 



The StaphyliniD;E (the giants of the section) have 

 the prothoracic spiracles conspicuous ; the antennae dis- 

 tant at the base and inserted in front, within the base of 

 the mandibles ; and the thorax w ith a lateral marginal 

 line, both on the upper and under side. Their man- 

 dibles are generally large, the maxillary palpi filiform, 

 the ligula small and rounded, entire in Philonthus, but 

 emarginate in the other genera, and with the paraglossse 

 always long. The males are usually known by their 

 larger heads and dilated anterior tarsi, and by the penul- 



