SOFT-WINGED PREDACEOUS-BEETLES. 105 



sometimes small, but rarely very small. They are mostly plain insects 

 without brilliant colors ; usually black or brown, and many have the 

 thorax margined with red or yellow. 



The LampyridfB comprise three sub-families, which may be character- 

 ized as follows : 



A. Elytra reticulated ; middle coxte separate ; head partially covered by tlie ante- 

 rior margin of tlie tliorax Lycides . 



A A. Elytra not reticulated; middle coxie contiguous. 



B. Head nearly or quite covered by the thorax; antennre usually approximate ; 



side pieces of raetasternum rather Avide Lamp\iiides. 



BB. Head wholly uncovered by the thorax; antenna; rather distant; side pieces 

 of metasternum tai)ering to a point behind Telephorides . 



Sub-family LYCIDES. 



The Lycides are distinguished by their reticulated elytra, produced 

 by elevated lines and cross-lines. The genus Lyons, and some others, 

 have the head more or less prolonged in front in the form of a snout. 



A. Head with a distinct beals ; antenniB inserted in front of the eyes ; elytra usually widened behind : 



Lycus, 3 sp. 

 A A. Head without distinct beak ; antennae inserted between the eyes. 



B. Elytra widened behind ; thorax carinate Calopteeon, 7. 



B B. Elytra parallel ; thorax not carinate Eros, 16. 



LycuSj Fab., including Dictyopterus, Latr., which differs only in hav- 

 ing the rostrum shorter and more robust, contains three known North 

 A.merican species. 



Calopteron, Gueriu, contains a number of species, two of which at 

 least are rather common and conspicuous insects : the G. reticulatimij 

 Fab., five or six-tenths of an inch in length, yellow, with the middle of 

 the thorax, a broad band across the elytra, and a broad tip of the same, 

 black ; and the C. terminale, Say, of the same size and color, but with- 

 out the middle band on the elytra. A much smaller species, the C. di- 

 midiatum, Fab., {scapulare, Newman,) is blackish, with the margin of 

 the thorax, and the tips of the shoidders, yellow. The antenna3 are 

 strongly pectinate, or branched. It is the type of the genus Cwnia, of 

 Newman. 



JiJros, Newman, contains many species, the most conspicuous of which 

 is the E. eoccinatus, Say, four-tenths of an inch long, and of a bright 

 scarlet color. 



Subfamily LAMPYHIDES. 



The remarks made above upon the present tribe of soft- winged Car- 

 nivora, and upon the family of Lampyridai, apply especially to the sub- 

 family of Lampyrides proper, and need not be here repeated. Their 



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