THE FAMILY LYCTID^. 115 



Head prominent, constricted behind the eyes; oral organs small; 

 epistoma distinct, labrum distinct. 



Prothorax with the episterna and epimera fused; lateral margin 

 distinct or obsolete; coxal cavities rounded, closed behind. 



Mesosternum small, surrounding the coxae anteriorly and at the 

 sides; mesepisternum and mesepimeron not attaining the coxa. 



Metasternum long. 



Elytra entire, completely covering the abdomen, epipleurge narrow. 



Abdomen with five visible ventral segments, the first ^ always longer 

 than the second. 



Anterior coxse, subcontiguous or widely separated, subglobose, 

 moderately prominent; middle coxse similar to anterior; posterior 

 coxse widely separated, transverse, subprominent 'internally, exter- 

 nally grooved for the reception of the thighs. 



Legs not contractile, slender; tibise slender; tarsi five-segmented, 

 the first segment very short. 



SYNOPSIS OF GENERA. 



At present but three distinct genera belonging to this family are 

 recognized. They may be separated as follows: 



Antennal club with both segments subequal, neither decidedly elongated; pronotum 

 varying in shape from subquadrate with all angles acute to cordate with the angles 

 rounded; elytra punctate, the punctures confused or distinctly seriate; pubes- 

 cence confused or seriate; anterior tibise slender, acutely produced externally; 

 tarsi slender Lyctus Fabricius. 



Antennal club with both segments very strongly elongated, the segments much 

 longer than broad, the terminal one very much narrower than the preceding; 

 sides of head with three hooklike teeth; the prothorax as in Lyctus (Trogoxylon), the 

 margins, however, clothed with bristles; elytra punctured in not very regular rows, 

 the pubescence, however, scarcely in rows; anterior tibise on either side strongly 

 widened into a tooth externally, with a large tooth, straight at the base and hook- 

 like at the apex; tarsi rather slender; claw-segment simple Lyctozylon Reitter. 



Antennal club with terminal segment elongate, sides of head with three weak teeth at 

 either side; margins of pronotum denticulated and, like the margins of the body, 

 with bristles; elytra striately punctured, with rows of erect bristles. Tibiae at the 

 outer angle unequal, ciuved, the anterior mdened into a tooth at the apex, with 

 a somewhat large curved spine; tarsal segments short, claw segment strongly 

 clavately thickened, claws simple, rather small; form of body and prothorax as in 

 Lyctus Minthea Pascoe. 



REVISIONAL NOTES. 



In the foregoing generic synopsis Trogoxylon Le Conte has been 

 placed wdth Lyctus, as has been done by Colonel Casey (1891). 

 Le Conte, in separating the genera, did so on the ground that Trogoxy- 

 lon did not have the anterior tibise prolonged at the outer apical 



oThe first visible ventral segment in the Lyctidse is the third abdominal stemite. 

 (See Hopkins, Tech. Ser. 17, Pt. I, Bur, Ent., U, S. Dept. Agr.,.p. 55, fig. 38, 1909.) 

 76686°— 11 2 



