(Page 554) 

 gitudinally aciculated. Scutellum is small and is placed half in front of 

 elytral base; elytra most often longer than pronotum, with fine or oblit- 

 erated suture-stripes and angulose suture-corners, posteriorly evenly trun- 

 cated, abdomen of equal breadth, sparsely haired, robustly margined, its 

 first four free dorsal joints transversally grooved and flattish arcuately 

 depressed at base, so. that at each side a small triangular plane is form- 

 ed between the groove and posterior margin of preceding joint (Fig. 160), 

 a peculiarity, which inter alia separates Oxytelus from Platystethus , 

 Haploderus and other closely allied genera, but also is found in the other- 

 wise more remotely allied genus Siagonium Kirby with 2 Middle-European spe- 

 cies. The middle-coxae are rather broadly separated; legs rather short, 

 the anterior tibiae at tip as a rule distinctly incised and together with 

 the middle ones spiniferous at outer margin, all tarsi 3-jointed, the claw- 

 joint most often longer than the other two joints together. - In the <$\ he 

 head is as a rule broader and thicker than in the g , and various sex-char- 

 racters are in most of the species found on the next-last ventral abdominal 

 joint of the o . 



The species live in manure, at rotting fungi and plant waste, under 

 carrion and on moist ground under leaves. About 12 species are heretofore 

 found in Denmark, which besides several others occur distributed in Middle 

 ana 'orth Europe. 



Key to Subgenera and species. 

 1. Sides of pronotum not margined, but distinctly serrate: 1. Subgenus 



Oxytelus s. str. Thorns 2. 



-44- 



