'■VAC) FAMILY XI. STAPH YI.INID.E. 



./. Middle goxvg very widely separated; front of iioad (niii- 



eate just before the eyes; last joint of labial palpi very 



large, luuate. Subfamily VIII. Oxypokin.e, p. 451). 



jj. Middle coxa? contiguous or nearly so ; front more or less 



prolonged before the eyes; labial palpi with last joint 



normal. Subfamily IX. Oxytelin.e, p. 461. 



ce. Front coxai globose, not prominent; hind coxie transverse; form 



very elongate, slender, parallel. 



Subfamily X. Piestin.e, p. 4S;i. 

 (III. Antenna' O-jointed witJi abnijit dub, received in cavities on under side 

 of thorax ; hind co.x.r small, rounded and widely separated. 



Subfamily XI. Micropeplin/E, p. 4S4. 



Subfamily I. ALEOCHARINAE.* 



Antenmv inserted between the eyes and behind their front mar- 

 gin, 11- jointed (10-jointed in the Tribe Oligotini) ; elytra either 

 covering entirely the first two. dorsal plates of the abdomen or leav- 

 ing the apieal half of the second plate uncovered; abdomen mar- 

 gined at the sides, the second ventral plate rudimentary; front coxa? 

 conical, prominent, usually shorter than the front thighs; hind 

 coxEe contiguous, with broad, flat external laminge and with elevated 

 internal lamina^, the latter nnrrowed behind or subparallel; tarsi 

 variable, 8-, 4- or 5-jointed. 



The larva' are but little known, greatly resembling in general 

 those of the Tachyporime. The species of Aleocharina^ are among 

 the smallest of the family, are very numerous and their life habits 

 nre extremely diversified. They occur under stones, on dead ani- 

 mals, in excrement, in mushrooms and toadstools, in decaying v^eg- 

 ctable matter, under the bark of vai-ious trees, under moss, in old 

 tree trunks and at running sap. Some live on the shores of running 

 or stagnant water, some exclusively on the seashore or on the shore.-; 

 of brackish water, while others live in shore sand, in caves, a few in 

 flowers and a gi'oat nuiiiltci' in the nests of ants and termites. A 

 few are also found in the nests of vertebrate animals, like wood- 

 vats, squirrels, swallows, etc. No member of the subfamily is known 

 to have any economic importance except as a scavenger. 



The best w^orks of reference on the American Aleocharinae are : 



Erichson. — Kwfer der IMark Brandenburg, Berlin, 1837. 



Genera et species Staphylinorum, Berlin, 1840. 



Ganglhaucr. — Die Ka:>fer von Mitteleuropa, II. Wien, 1895. 



Caficij. — "Observations on the Staphylinid Groups Aleocharina". 

 and Xantholinini. chiefly of America," in Trans. Acad. Sei. 

 St. Louis. XVI. mOf). 125-484. 



* Tlip Dutline and keys to tribes and genera of this subfamily were furnished by Dr. A. Fenyea of Pasadena 

 Ciliforiiia, through whose hmis all the species hive passed. The other matter, including keys to species and 

 (iescriptions, was prepared by the writer. — W. S. K. 



