282 



FAMILY VIII. — SILPHID^. 



552 (1741). Ptomophagus pusio Lee, Proe. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1.859. 



282. 

 Oval, slightly obloug. narrowed in front and behind the middle. Dark 

 chestnut brown, head and thorax piceous, moderately shining, pubescent. 

 Antennae piceous, basal joints paler, eighth much shorter than ninth. Thorax 

 twice as wide as long, feebly narrowed in front, sides slightly curved, hind 

 angles rectangular, surface densely punctate. Elytra as wide as thorax, 

 sides feebly curved, tips obtuse; sutural stria deeply impressed, surface 

 transversely strigose. Length 1.5-2 mm. 



Steuben and Putnam counties; rare. April 24-May 24. Une 

 specimen on the former date from the deserted nest of rabbit. 



553 (1742). Ptomophagus parasitus Lee. Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci.. VI. 



1853, 282. 



Oval, narrowed behind the middle. Dark reddish- or chestnut brown, 



shining, finely pubescent; head and disk of thorax darker. Thorax a little 



less than twice as wide at base as long, hind angles subrectaugular, surface 



strigose on sides, rather densely punctate on disk. Apex of elytra obtuse. 



C 



Fig. 141. a. Colon ihomcicum Horn; h, antenna of same; c, Colon magnicolle Mann.; d, front and hind legs of 

 C. hubbardi Horn, male; e, front tibiffi and hind legs of C. paradoxum Horn. 



the fine wrinkles of surface coarser, more distant and less oblique than in 

 consobrimis. Length 2 mm. 



Posey and Putnam counties ; frequent in the nests of large black 

 and reddish-brown ants, Camponotus pennsylvanicus DeG-., and C. 

 ferrugineus Fab. March 25-May 12. 



VII. Colon Herbst. 1797. (Gi-., ''a joint or limb.") 



Small, oval, brownish or piceous species, narrowed behind the 

 middle and having the surface punctured and finely pubescent; 

 eyes nearly round, moderately prominent; antenuce rarely passing 

 the middle of thorax, joints 8-11, forming an oblong, rather com- 

 pact club (Fig. 4, No. 3.) ; middle coxas separated, the mesosternum 

 not earinate. Males with front spur of front tibiffi short, stout, 

 with the sides dentate or lobed, and with larger spur of middle and 

 hind tibiae slender but abruptly dilated from the middle to base. 

 The following species have been taken or may occur in the State : 



