(Paja 2) 

 dorsal joints of abdomen, occasionally even almost the entire abdomen. 

 But no other beetles are found which In regard to flexibility of abdomen 

 can compare with Staphyllnlds. In this they occupy a unique position. 

 It follows that the abdomen is most flexible in the species with short- 

 est elytra, where it unhindred can bend upward and downward, forward and 

 to the sides, but also In that of the species with longer elytra there 

 is considerable flexibility, even though somewhat limited by the shape 

 and length of the elytra. Only in genus Micropeplus is the abdomen, on 

 account of the more compact Joints, rather Inflexible. 



The majority of Staphyllnlds are agile, lively animals. Ordinarily 

 their body ( corpus ) , is elongate and slender, more often flatly rounded 

 than cylindrical, seldom strongly convex. This enables them to nimbly flit 

 about beneath the plant cover seeking prey or hiding on all uneven ground. 

 More rarely is the body short and broad (as in Megarthrus et al.) It is 

 most often entirely or at least partly finely haired, very rarely entire- 

 ly naked (or bald), and the hair vestlture is seemingly more densely de- 

 veloped in the species which live on very wet or muddy ground or at manu- 

 re; the abdominal tip and sides of the body are very often furthermore 

 provided with longer bristles and stiff hairs, , which probably are for pro- 

 tection of the body against filth, and also serve as tactile bristles. 

 About the principal parte of thu body: the head (with eyes, antennae, mouth- 

 parts etc.), the thorax (with wings, elytra and legs) and the abdomen, it 

 is necessary in order to understand the description of genera and species 

 to set forth the following (see Fig. 1 and 2) j 



-3- 



