BEETLES. 



383 



i''n;. 4")!), — Sa/>rin(fs malt' 

 ritauicus. 



Fui. KA. — HijluUpta 

 /osstdaris. 



of this genus ; most of tlicm .tvo found aliout onrcasses ; the species are difficult to 

 (listinguisli. 



In JIiste)\ anolliei- large gi'ntis, well n^presented in Xorth 

 America, the prostermim is lolied anteriorly, the antennal elnh 

 is broadly oval and distinctly annulnted, the lahrinu trapezoidal, 

 and the cavities for the reception of the antenna' are anteriorly 

 situated, and open in front. IT. arcuutit)^ is one of the largest 

 North American species, licing alxnit O.oo of an inch long, and 

 marked with a cnr\ed red sfripe upon each elytruni. IL hi- 

 maculatus is found Imth in Kur(>|>e and Xorth America. 

 Closely relateil to Il/sftr, but Inning a truncate antennal 

 cluV), and a transverse laliruni, is 'rrihuliis. T. scuphklifornus 



is found in Algiers and Portugal. In Onthophihis the antennal 

 cavities, wliicli are lieiieath the angle of the jirothorax, are ojien 

 lielow .and closed in front, and the prosteriium is scarcely IoIkmI 

 in front. <>. ttlUvnutus, a snniU sjiecies. not over 0.1 of an inch 

 long, is from the eastern United States. 

 I The sj)eeies of ILiloIepta are quite different, in general 



^ \ appearance, from all the other Ilisterida:'. They are very much 

 flattened, the head .and ni.indibles are jn-omincnt. H. fos.vihiriif 

 is about 0.4 of an inch long, shining bl.ack, and is found in the 

 eastern United States beneath the bark of decaying trees. 



The ScAPHiiD.E contain a small number of very .shiny 

 beetles of similar form and coloration to the IIisterid;e, but easily 

 distinguished from the latter by their clavate antennie, which are 

 not geniculate, and by other structural characters. The larvre are 

 said to h.ave long antenna'. 



The family of Phalackih.e is small, and c(nisists of only foui' 

 genera of little convex sjiining beetles, that live upon flowers or 

 under bark. Pliahirrus, OlIhrKs, and Litocltrus are represented 

 in the Xorth American f.auna. Tah/phns i/ranuJatus, which is 

 here figured, belongs to the only other genus, and is from south- 

 ern France and northern Africa. 



The TRlcnoPTEEV(iiD.-E are llie smallest known lieetles. The antenna" arc verti- 

 cillate with long h.air, and the wings are fringed with hair. A 

 few are a|iterous. 'I'lie larva' are active and carnivorous, those of 

 some s]ieeies feeding on I'odurid;c. Pupation lasts but a few 

 days. Quite a number of the Ti'ichojiterygidte are myrmccophil- 

 ous, others live uniler bark. Tricho2)teri/x atoinariu is found 

 lioth in Europe and in America. 



The typical carrion-beetles belong to the family Silpiiid.e. 

 These beetles are often of considerable size, and liave clavate an- 

 tennae. Tlie char.ictei's which Drs. Le Conte .and Horn give to 

 separate the beetles of this family from othei-s having clavate 

 antenna' are as follows : dorsal segments of the abdomen partly 

 membranous, ventral segments free, mentutn moderate or small, 

 palpi approximate at tlieir bases ; anterior coxa' large, conical, and ])rominent ; ]io,s- 

 terior coxae more or less conical and prominent; eyes finely granulated, sometimes 



V 



Fl<f. 4.52. — Tnhjphuii 

 granutatus. 



Fig. 453. — Trichopteryj: 

 atomaria. 



