66 HETEROMERA. [Seraptia. 
1. Third joint of antennz and first joint of posterior tarsi longer ; 
eyes not contiguous to posterior margin of head . . . . . S, DUBIA, Ol. 
(fusea, Latr.) 
II. Third joint of antenna and first joint of posterior tarsi shorter; 
eyes contiguous to posterior margin of head . . . . . . S, Fuscura, Mill, 
(minuta, Muls.) 
S. dubia, 01. (fusca, Latr.). Subparallel, rather depressed, clothed 
with fine silky pubescence, finely, very closely, and, on the elytra, some- 
what asperately punctured; head and thorax brown, elytra brownish- 
yellow or testaceous, antenne brownish; eyes separate from posterior 
margin of head ; thorax very transverse, about twice as broad as long, 
strongly narrowed in front with two rather feeble impressions at base ; 
elytra about four times as long as thorax ; under-side fuscous; legs pale 
brown or testaceous, tibie and tarsi reddish. L. 33-4 mm. 
In rotten wood, hard fungus on trees, &c.; very rare; near Windsor (Stephens) ; 
Glanvilles Wootton, Dorset, a single specimen taken by Mr. Curtis in a window of the 
house, June 25th, 1842. 
S. fuscula, Mill. (minuta, Muls.; nigricans, Steph.). In shape, 
general appearance, punctuation and pubescence very closely allied to 
the preceding, but on an average smaller, with the third joint of the 
antennz and the first joint of the posterior tarsi shorter, and the eyes con- 
tiguous to the posterior margin of the head ; head black or brown ; thorax 
testaceous, very transverse, with two distinct basal impressions ; elytra 
and under-side testaceous or brownish-yellow ; legs livid testaceous. L. 
25 mm. 
In hard woody fungus on trees, in rotten wood, &c.; sometimes on the wing ; very 
rare; Ripley, Surrey (Stephens) ; Purley and Esher (Power); Exwick, Devon, by 
sweeping ivy, July 1863 (Parfitt); Mr. W. Garneys took a specimen of Scraptia some 
years ago at Repton, Burton-on-Trent, which must, I think, be referred to this 
species. 
MORDELLIDZ. 
This family contains about a dozen genera and between three and four 
hundred species ; the genus Mordella is very widely distributed, but the 
remaining members of the family are chiefly found in Europe and North 
America, a small proportion only being found within the tropics or in 
the Southern Hemisphere ; some authors include the Rhipidophoride 
with the Mordellide, but it seems more correct to separate them. The 
following are the chief characteristics of the family :—Body more or less 
arched or convex; head vertical, often inserted very low, strongly and 
suddenly constricted immediately behind eyes, connected with thorax by 
a very small neck; antennz slender, filiform or slightly serrate, inserted 
before eyes; maxillary palpi with the last joint securiform ; thorax 
trapezoidal or semicireular, as wide at base as elytra, anterior coxal 
cavities large, open behind ; mesosternum short ; elytra narrowed behind, 
without strie and with tke epipleure very narrow or absent, tip of 
abdomen not covered ; abdomen with five or six ventral segments, often 
