400 FAMllA- \I. STAPUYi.INID.E. 



XI.. Dk.cius Ki-iclis. 1840. ((Jr.. "to wasli away.") 



Siiiiill. slender s|)ecies. having the antenna' nearly 

 strai^lit :i"(l the head oNal. nnieli smaller than thoi-ax. 

 the iasl, jnint of pal|)i x^'vy small and awl-shaped. 

 ( b'iii-. IfiO.) One s|)eeies occurs in the eastern I'nited 

 States and Indiana. 



77<i i2'2UU). DiocHus scHAUMii Krailtz., Wien. Ent. Mount., 

 IV, 1860, 27. 

 Elongate, sleuder. Piceoiis. shining; legs, and sometimes 

 nf«^.'/^Erichs""''A tilt' thorax and tips of elytra dull yellow; anteunte brown. 

 Central American u;^\^.l■ at base. Head very sparsely and finely punctate. 



species. X 8. ' 



(After Erich-son.) 'I'liorux oblong-oval. sides rounded into base and apex, disk 

 with a row of four or five punctures on sides and with four to six faint 

 ones on middle. Elytra one-third wider and about as long as thorax, 

 smooth or nearly so. Abdomen minutely and densely punctate, subopacpie, 

 the tip paler. Length 2.7-3 mm. 



Starl<e. Koseinsko, T'ntnani and Posey counties; searee. April 

 21-0ct()ber 17. Sifted fi-oiii veiidaltle del)ris in low moist i)laees. 



Subfamily III. STENINAE. 



Short, rather rohnst. snbeylindrieal. blaek or pieeous species, 

 having the head large, wider than long, with prominent eyes, thus 

 resembling those of the tiger beetles; antennae straight, inserted 

 upon the front, 11- jointed, the last three joints larger than those 

 preceding; tii-st joint of maxillary palpi nearly as long as second, 

 the fourth obsolete; labrum entire, rounded in front; thorax con- 

 vex, usually distinctly longer than wide; elytra wider than thorax; 

 abdomen with seven segments, usually narrowing from base to apex, 

 each dorsal segment with a transverse elevated ridge at base, this 

 usually with several cusps or teeth projecting backward; tarsi five- 

 jointed, the fourth joint often bilobed beneath. The thorax and 

 elytra are dee])ly sculptured, and this character, taken in connec- 

 tion with their large eyes and black color render them, as a group, 

 very easy to separate. 



The Stenids occur for the most part along the muddy or sandy 

 bordei-s of lakes, jxi'ds and streams, whei'e they I'un swiftly in the 

 sunshine Im! hide beneath hark, moss and nd)bish in cloudy or cold 

 weatlier. .Ml are pro!)al)ly carnivorous, catching their prey alive 

 like most (if the ( *ai'aliida'. ami not feeding on carrion and exci'e- 

 iiicni as do most other Staphybiiid forms. 



The principal paper treatiuii' of the Noi-tli American species 

 is l)\' 



