THE "SKIPJACKS" AND THEIR ALLIES. 131 



flabellated antennae, and are usually smaller than the 

 females ; and the larva closely resembles those of the 

 Buprestida, from which it chiefly differs in the structure 

 of the organs of its mouth, and in not having its head 

 divided into two portions : it eats galleries in recently 

 dead wood, and forms a cell in which to undergo its 

 metamorphosis; the perfect insect (and especially the 

 female) being frequently to be seen lurking at the mouth 

 of the burrow. 



The structure of the larva, the insertion and different 

 cavities of the antennae, absence of a labrum, and more 

 closely fitting prothorax, accompanied by the absence of 

 saltatorial power, distinguish this family from the next, 

 to which in many respects it is closely allied. 



The ELATERID^E have long antennae, which are either 

 serrated, pectinated, or filiform, inserted immediately in 

 front of the eyes, and (except in the first sub-family) 

 not received into prosternal grooves in repose ; the eyes 

 large and round ; the head (except in the Campylides) 

 sunk in the thorax, with the mouth very rarely on the 

 lower side ; the labrum always distinct ; the mandibles 

 normally short and somewhat semicircular, often bifid 

 at the apex ; the apical joint of the palpi more or less 

 securiform (except as above) ; the thorax produced into 

 spines at the hinder angles, and sloped at the base to- 

 wards the elytra, which are also sloped forwards; the 

 scutellum mostly situated in a depression ; the proster- 

 num usually produced into a chin-piece in front, and 

 always with a dagger-like elongation behind, which 

 moves very freely in the mesosternal cavity ; and the 

 tarsi often furnished with lamellae beneath. 



They are nearly always of narrow, elongate, cylindrical 

 shape, though sometimes flattened ; and are conspicuous 



K 2 



