MELOE. 353 



MELOIDAE, 



A, Metasternum very short ; intermediate coxae partly 

 covering posterior. 



Last joint of maxillary palpi cylindrical, depressed and 

 obtuse at apex ; apex of mandibles truncate or slightly 

 emarginate ; eyes slightly emarginate ; second joint of an- 

 tennae very short, last joint generally elongate, cylindrical 

 and pointed at apex, scutellum absent ; elytra overlapping 

 at suture, divergent, more or less abbreviated ; body ap- 

 terous. Meloe, Lin. 



J5. Metasternum elongate ; intermediate coxae distant 

 from posterior. 



a. Elytra entirely covering abdomen, not divergent. 



Antennae not very short, not clubbed ; eyes transverse, 

 very slightly emarginate ; penultimate tarsal joint more or 

 less cylindrical, not bilobed ; claws not toothed ; body 

 winged. Cantharis, Geoffr. 



b. Elytra abbreviated, narrowed behind, divergent. 



Antennae threadlike ; upper division of tarsal claws 

 generally simple, sometimes (in same species) slightly 

 toothed ; body winged. Sitaris, Latr. 



Meloe. 



A, Thorax as long as, or longer than broad. 



a. Head and thorax closely and coarsely punctured. 



Black, with blue or violet reflection ; antennae and legs 

 black-blue. Thorax without impressions and with almost 

 straight posterior margin ; elytra coarsely wrinkled, cover- 

 ing in male nearly whole of abdomen. L. 6 — 14 1. Com- 

 mon. 3f. proscarahaeus, Lin. 



b. Head and thorax with only scattered punctures. 



Dark blue, shiny. Thorax with a transverse impression 

 before the rather deeply emarginate base; elytra shagreened. 

 L. 6 — 10 1. Eather common. 3f. violaceus, Mavsh. 



S, Thorax broader than long. 



a. Thorax with rather fine, scattered punctures. 



Upper-side black, with blue reflection. Thorax not 

 much broader than long, slightly dilated before middle, 



VOL, II, A A 



