THE CEDEMEKID BEETLES. 1305 



narrower than elytra, the former but slightly narrowed into a neck. 

 The middle eoxaj are very prominent ; thorax without sharp edges 

 at the sides, its lateral suture beneath wanting; elytra somewhat 

 soft in texture and either smooth or with fine punctures and silky 

 hair. They are found mostly on iiowers or foliage, sometimes in 

 crevices or on the ground near water. The larva' live for the most 

 l)art in decaying wood and are not of much economic importance. 

 The name of the family is derived from that of the tyi)ical genus 

 (Kdemera, which is the Greek of two words meaning "swollen" and 

 "thigh." 



Tn addition to the characters mentioned, the members of the 

 i'ainily have the palpi 4-jointed, the hist joint dilated; head slightly 

 inclined, the front somewhat prolonged; antennas 11- rarely 12- 

 jointed, nearly filiform ; elytra covering the abdomen, which has five 

 free ventral segments with a sixth sometimes visible in the males ; 

 front coxfe large, conical, contiguous, the cavities widely open be- 

 hind; tarsi ^nth the next to last joint dilated and furnished with a 

 dense brush of hairs beneath; tarsal claws usually simple, rarely 

 toothed at base. 



The principal papei^s treating of the North American species are 

 as follows : 



LeConte. — "Synopsis of the G^demerido' of the Thiited States," 

 in Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat Sci., VII, 1854, 20-22. 



LeConte. — "Synoptic Tables of Copidita and Oxacis," in New 

 Sp. N. Am. Col., I, 1866, 164-166. 



Horn. — "The CEdemerida- of Boreal America," in Proc. Califor- 

 nia Acad. Sci., VI, 1896, 382-421. 



WicJiham. — "The CEdemeridai and Oe])haloidie of Ontario and 

 Quebec," in Can. Eut., XXX, 1893, 149-152. 



Horn, in his paper above cited, recognized 50 species from North 

 America. These he distri])utes among 13 genera. Of these but five 

 species, belonging to four genera, have been taken in the State, and 

 a representative of another may occur. 



KEY TO INIHANA GENEH.V OF fEDEMERID-E. 



a. Next to last joint of tarsi iiju-rowly diintcd; length less than 5 mm.; 

 color brown. I- Microtoncs. 



aa. Next to last joint of tarsi Itmadly dilated : length usually more than 

 7 mm. 

 6. Front tibi:e with one spur; color above yellowish, elytra tipped with 

 black ; antenme of male 12-jointed. II. Nacerdes. 



hh. Front tibife with two spiu-s ; antenna' in both sexes 11-jointed. 

 c. Both mandibles bifid at tip. 



