Melandryide. | HETEROMERA, 33 
received into the thorax as far as the eyes, which are either entire or 
emarginate ; mandibles short; maxillee with two flattened lobes, palpi 
4-jointed, often long and more or less dilated; antenre 11-jointed 
(except in Conopalpus, in which genus they are 10-jointed), usually 
filiform ; thorax (in our species) as broad behind as base of elytra; 
mesosternum moderately long, side pieces attaining the coxal cavities : 
elytra covering abdomen, which is composed of five free ventral seg- 
ments ; legs usually long and slender ; the species are variable in size 
and colour, and are found under bark, in rotten wood, or in fungi. 
The family has by some authors been divided into several tribes ; 
only two, however, are here adopted, as far as the British fauna is con- 
cerned ; these may be distinguished as follows:— 
I. Antennz with the last four joints forming a very abrupt, strong 
sia saieemmeirel nines ete tale, Sah ce eg, eo ar ok, 8: by? ASR TETRATOMINA. 
Il. Antenne as a rule filiform or very gradually thickened, in one 
or two cases forming a rather strong but not abrupt club . . . MrzanpRYINa. 
TETRATOMINA. 
Th's tribe contains only one genus, which may be known by the 
strong 4-jointed club of the antenne; the palpi are short and not 
much dilated ; the tibial spurs are small and the coxe not contiguous ; 
the species are small, or rather small, oval and convex insects, and live 
in fungi. Thomson classes them with the Mycetophagide, to which 
they bear a somewhat close relation, 
TETRATOMA, Fabricius. 
Seven species are contained in this genus, one of which is found in 
Kamtschatka, two occur in North America, and four in Europe; of 
these three are inhabitants of Britain, and may be distinguished as 
follows: — 
I. Thorax red; elytra black, with a bluish or greenish 
reflection. Me lehere Lt a phe t alae Lhe ty RAPALA 
II. Upper surface entirely black, often witha slight greenish 
FEMCCMON. SUR. ste ee ee A - . TT. Desmargstt, Latr. 
III. Upper surface reddish or yellowish brown or testaceous, 
with more or less distinct black markings on elytra; 
sizesmaller. . . ste Renee 
T. FUNGORUM, F. 
T. ancora, F. 
@. fungorum, F. Oblong, subparallel, convex, shining, head 
black, thorax red, elytra deep bine, under-side reddish-testaceous ; head 
subtriangular, rather coarsely punctured, with an impression on vertex, 
antenn red with the club black; thorax very transverse, with the sides 
rounded and narrowed in front, coarsely and not very closely punctured ; 
scutellum dark, almost pentagonal ; elytra about as broad at base ag 
thorax, coarsely and rather closely punctured ; legs clear red. L, 31- 
4} mm, 
VOL. VY. D 
