ARADID.i:. 153 



Family ARADIDiE. 



The insects belonging to this famil_y are flat and broad, of dull 

 sombre coloration ; the anterior legs are inserted on the disk of 

 the presternum ; ocelli none ; antennae four-jointed ; hemelytra 

 possessing both corium and membrane ; tarsi with two joints. 



The Aradidae are found under and in decaying bark and on 

 fungi attached to the same, their peculiar structure being adapted 

 to that mode of life. In colour they are all of sombre hue, mostly 

 black or of some ferruginous tint. We may still expect many 

 species to be discovered in British India, though Sign. Fea has added 

 much to our knowledge by the collections he made in Burma, 

 collections which have already been worked out by Dr. Bergroth. 

 The types of these species have, by the kindness of Dr. Gestro of 

 the Genoa Museum, passed through my hands, and many of them 

 are here figured. These insects undoubtedly assist in the disin- 

 tegration of trees and shrubs, though it is probable that they make 

 no attack before some amount of decay has set in. 



The Aradidce have been divided into two subfamilies. 



Synopsis of iSuhfamiUes. 



A. Sternum distinctly sulcated ; rostrum 



reaching or passing base of presternum . Aradince. 



B. Sternum seldom sulcated ; rostrum short, 



rarely passing base of head Brachyrliynchince. 



Subfamily I. ARADINtE. 



This subfamily has been hitherto restricted to the genus 

 Arachis, but I have also included in it the genus Eumenotes, which 

 possesses both a long rostrum and sulcated sternum. If Eumenotes 

 is not placed in the Aradinae, it should form the type of a new 

 subfamily; Bergroth, who redescribed it under the synonym Odonia, 

 placed it in ttie Brachyrhyuchinse, but he apparently overlooked the 

 sulcated sternum, which is not mentioned in his diagnosis. 



Synopsis of Genera. 



A. Head as loug as broad, or longer, with the apical 



process tumescent, not bilobate Aradus, p. 153. 



B. Head considerably broader than long, an- 



teriorly bilobate Eumenotes, p. 155. 



Genus ARADUS. 



Aradus, pt., Fal^r. Si/st. Hhi/nq. p. 116 (1803) ; Fieber, Fur. Hem. 



pp. 34 & 110 (1861); StMl,En.Hem. iii, p. 135 (1873). 

 Piestosoma, Lcq). Fss. Hem. p. 53 (1832). 

 Subg. Quilnus, Stal, En. Hem. iii, p. 137 (1873). 



