Scraptide. | HETEROMERA. 65 
the same family between Abdera and Hallomenus ; Thomson classes it 
with Conopalpus as a tribe Conopalpina of the Serropalpide, which 
latter family is by many writers regarded as only a part of the Melan- 
dryide. Heyden, Reitter, and Weise again place it with Huglenes, 
Aylovhilus, Pedilus, Steropes, and Phytobenus under a separate family 
Pedilide, and in this they are followed by some authors; the genus 
seems to fall most naturally under the Mordellide, and the species 
superficially bear a strong resemblance to Anaspis ,; it must, however, be 
-admitted that in some points it is more closely allied to the Melandryida, 
and under all circumstances it seems to be the best plan to form a 
family Scraptiide for the reception of Seraptia and Trotomma and 
Wollaston’s genus Pseudoscraptia ; the species are so extremely rare that 
it is very difticult to obtain a specimen for dissection, and further study 
of the species is necessary before any final conclusion can be come to in 
tbe matter; the arrangement, however, which I have here followed 
seems to be the best provisional one that can be made, as it places the 
genus in a position between the Melandryide and Mordellide without 
connecting it with either, The family may be characterized as follows: 
—Head more raised than the anterior margin of the thorax, strongly con- 
tracted immediately behind eyes ; upper surface depressed; antenne 
filiform ; eyes deeply emarginate ; maxillary palpi more or less strongly 
securiform ; thorax transverse ; scutellum distinct; posterior coxe shorter 
than the first ventral segment; spurs of anterior tibiz distinct ; posterior 
tibiz as long as the tarsi; penultimate joint of tarsi strongly bilobed ; 
claws simply toothed at base, the teeth being rudimentary ; insects small 
and very delicate. 
SCRAPTIA, Latreille. 
About twenty-five species are contained in this genus, of which eight are 
found in Europe, and the remainder chiefly in North and South America; 
one, however, has been described from Ceylon; the characters above 
given will serve to distinguish the genus; the antenne have the second 
and third joints small ; the mandibles are bifid at apex; the scutellum is 
triangular; the elytra are subparallel, rather depressed and almost 
coriaceous, not fitting tightly to the sides of the abdomen, which is com- 
posed of five segments ; the legs are slender and delicate. 
The larva of S. fuseula (minuta, Muls.) is described and figured by Perris (Larves 
des Coléoptéres, p. 34!, pl. x. f. 371); it is white with a slight yellowish tinge, linear 
and elongate, with the prothoracic segment the longest, and is chiefly remarkable for 
the very long last segment of abdomen; this segment isas long as the three or four 
preceding segments, and is very thickly set with fine long setae; it is almost spoon- 
shaped, and is quite simple at apex; Perris, in discussing the questions raised concern- 
ing the position of the genus, remarks that the larva seeins to offer no points of com- 
parison with Mordella and Murdellistena, but nevertheless appears to be somewhat 
allied to that of Anaspis, from which, however, it diflers totally in the formation of 
the last segment; the larva and the perfect insect appear to be, at all events to a cer- 
tain extent, myrmecophilous, 
VOL. V. F 
