SAW-HORNED WOOD BEETLES. 93 



2d Tribe. Aberrant ivood-beetles. Xylotrogi partly, Latreille. Body 

 short, with the head beut under the thorax, or elongate, with the head 

 free. Antennse various. Families : Ptinida?, Lymexylonida^,, Ehipice- 

 rid;« and Oupesidte. 



3d Tribe. Soft-winged predaceons beetles. Mai.AC0DEBMI, Latreille. 

 Head free, but often partly or wholly covered by the thin anterior mar- 

 gin of the thorax. Antennas serrate or filiform. Body more or less 

 elongated, and depressed, soft, and with flexible elytra. Anterior coxae 

 conical and prominent, with large trochantins.* Families : Lampyridse, 

 Telephorida?, Melyrida?, Oleridie, DascyllidsB. 



TniBE IX. 



SAW-HOENED WOOD-BEETLES. 



Lignivora serricornia. Sternoxi, Latreille. 



The term Sternoxi, meaning f< harp-breasted, given to these insects by 

 Latreille, refers to their most distinctive character, namely, the exten- 

 sion of the pro-sternum or front breast-plate, backwards in the form of 

 a sharp point, which is received into a corresponding notch or cavity in 

 the meso-sternum. The sternum is also much advanced in front, and 

 the fore legs are set remarkably far back from its anterior edge. The 

 anterior coxse or hip-pieces are almost globular, but not prominent. 

 The antenn*. are rather short, sometimes distinctly serrate, and some- 

 times simply filiform. The legs are short and capable of being con- 

 tracted closely upon the body. They are of an oblong foiui, and usually 

 of a very hard consistency. The larvtie will be described under their 

 respective families. They are vegetable feeders, and are generally found 

 in wood in a state of partial decay. The two first families are numerous 

 in species, but the Cebrionida? are few and rare, and no species has 

 been found in the Northern States. 



They comprise the three following families : 

 A. Body very firm ; prosternal point elongated ; abdomen with five segments. 



B. Prosternal point immovable ; antenn* finely serrate ; anterior and middle tegs 



witli trochantins ; colors metallic Buprestid^. 



B B. Prosternal point movable ; antennte often filiform ; legs without trochantins ; 

 colors generally brown or black, and with the surtace usually finely pu- 

 bescent Elatebid^. 



A A. Body moderately firm ; prosternal point short ; abdomen with six segments : 



CKBRIONIDiE . 



* The trochantin is an additional or supernnmerary joint between the coxas and the thigh, giving 

 the latter the appearance of being composed of two pieces. 



