THE DEATFl-WATCri AND DRUG STORE BEETI;ES. 803 



9 to 1 l-joiiitcd; hcnd ivlract ilo. usuiilly ])i-()tocted l)y the thorax; 

 lahnuii distinct; thorax with the side i)ieees not separate; elytra 

 entire, with distinct I'pipleiirie ; abdomen with five free ventral seg- 

 ments; front and mid(Ue coxie cylindrieal or sub-globose, the coxal 

 cavities r(mnded, open behind; hind coxa' transverse; tarsi five- 

 jointed. 



Tlie larva' of tlie Ptinida- occnr willi IIk^ adults, and arc white 

 soft, gi'uli-like creatures, covered with short. stitT hairs or bristles, 

 and Avhen at rest lie in a cui'ved position like the common white 

 grubs of the genus Laclniosh nia. They have six legs, but usually 

 move ])y drawing themselves ahmg on theii' sides. Oidy a few sjx'- 

 cies. comprising those feeding upon drugs and upon the wood of 

 living ti-ees, are economically important and injurious. The others 

 may be classed as innoxious. 



The principal literature treating of the North American forms 

 is as follows : 



LeConie. — "Prodronuis of a ^Monograph of the Species of the 

 Tribe Anobiini, the Family Ptinida inhabiting North Amer- 

 ica," in. Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sei., 1865, 222-244. 



Fall, II. ('. — "Revisi(m of the Ptinidie of Boreal America," in 

 Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, XXXI, 1905, 97-296. 



Caseij. — "Studies in the Ptinida'. Cioidte and Sphindida^ of 

 America," /// Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc. VI, 1898. 61-93. 



LeConte and Horn, in their "Classification," and Ilenshaw, in 

 his Check List, recognize four subfamilies of Ptinidae. Fall, in his 

 latest work, recognizes but two, viz., Ptininm and Anohiin'V, rele- 

 gating the Lijdince to the family Cucujidfe, as proposed by ]Maj. 

 Casey, and proposing a separate and independent family for the 

 subfamily Br)sfrichin(i'. Sharp regards these two subfamilies as 

 forming the family Bostriehida', and they are so recognized in the 

 present paper. 



Fall, in his Revision, records ')■) genera and 259 species of 

 Ptinida^ as belonging to the North American fauna. 



KKY TO SUBFAMILIES OF I'TINID.E. 



a. AnteniifR inserted upon the front of head and rather eloso together at 

 base ; thorax without side margin. 



vSiil)family I. Ptinin.e, p. S(i4. 

 aa. Antennte inserted on the sides of licad in front of eyes and usually dis- 

 tant at base; thorax usually margined at sides. 



SuJitauiily II. Anoiuin.!-:. p. SfiC. 



155—23402] 



