Coleopterological Notices. 409 



genera in a satisfactory manner. The form of the intercoxal pro- 

 jection of the abdomen, for example, varies so little throughout the 

 group that mistakes are absolutely unavoidable in attempting an 

 identification from the form of this process. The characters bor- 

 rowed from the general form of the antennae are also unsatisfactory. 



The group is essentially American, there being to my knowledge 

 but a single pakearctic genus which can be included ; this genus — 

 Cabirus Muls., — comprises a very few small species, apparently 

 confined to Asiatic Turkey and the neighboring regions. 



The following study has been carefully made with the hope that 

 these obscure and neglected little insects may be thereby some- 

 what better understood. They are in no wise difficult to identify, 

 except in certain parts of the very large genus Blapstinus, the 

 species being unusually clearly defined and constant for the Tene- 

 brionidae, where the great specific variation in outward form is so 

 familiar to us in Eleodes. 



The genera are very readily separable into two distinct sections 

 as follows : — 



I. — Body always winged, the wings sometimes very rudimentary ; scutellum 

 normal, triangular, distinctly separating the elytra at base, and having a wide 

 polished impunctate and generally semi-coriaceous border ; anterior tarsi of 

 the male usually dilated. 



Anterior tibiae bent, more strongly so in the male ; pubescence dual in 



structure Tricliotoii 



Anterior tibia? straight ; pubescence simple. 



Base of the prothorax Insinuate and as wide as the base of the elytra. 

 Anterior tibia? externally produced at apex in a dentiform process : 



prothorax and elytra fimbriate at the sides Ulus 



Anterior tibiae not externally produced at apex ; sides not fimbriate. 



Blapstinus 

 Base of the prothorax straight, narrower than the base of the elytra. 



Mecysmus 

 II. — Body completely apterous ; scutellum very short and broad, usually 

 not entering the disk of the elytra ; anterior tarsi never dilated in the male. 

 Maxillary palpi normal, the fourth joint strongly securiform. 



Prothorax not fimbriate at the sides Conibilis 



Prothorax fimbriate at the sides with robust posteriorly recumbent and 

 contiguous seta?, forming a narrow dense border. 



Anterior tibia? narrow, normal Con ibiosoma 



Anterior tibia? broadly triangular and compressed Yotibilis 



Maxillary palpi with the fourth joint very broadly oval, broadly truncate 

 and having an unusual development of spongy white membrane in the 

 apical cavity ; base of the pronotum straight ; scutellum nearly as in 

 Blapstinus Cybotns 



