246 FAMILIES PYTHIDAE AND CANTHARIDAE 



Family PYTHIDAE. 



A small family, closely resembling the Tenebrionidae, from which they 

 differ by characters of small importance save to the systematist. The 

 family contains a small heteromerous forest form, found under the bark of 

 trees. In fact, evidence is showing that it is probable that the forests of 

 India will add a number of new species of minute bark-living forms to these 

 heteromerous families. 



Doliema spinicollis, Fairm. 



REFERENCE. Fairm. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. Ixii, p. 27 (1893). 



Habitat. Siwaliks, North India. 



Tree Infested. Sal (Shorea robusta). Dholkhand, Siwaliks. 



Beetle. Elongate, small. Head black, prothorax very dark brown ; elytra, antennae, and 

 legs lighter brown. Head flat, widest across middle, very finely punctate ; antennae short, 



the joints thickening to apex. Prothorax wider than long, anterior 



Description. edge straight, sides rounded to near base, thence straight ; disk flat, 



very finely punctate. Elytra with base straight, sides straight to 



posterior coxae, thence gradually constricted, apex rounded ; strongly striate-punctate, the 

 punctures small, the interspaces raised ; a few scattered spiny yellow hairs on surface. 

 Length, 4 mm. 



This small insect is to be found beneath the bark of felled and drying 

 sal-trees in the Dun forests of the Siwaliks. I took it in this position 

 towards the end of January, but know nothing about its habits nor those of 

 its larva. 



Family CANTHARIDAE. 



A family of beetles easy to recognize owing to the moderate-sized head 

 being joined on to the prothorax, which is narrower than the head, by a 

 'neck." In external form the insects resemble to some extent the mala- 

 coderms, as the elytra are rather soft and do not fit well together or cover 

 the abdomen. The antennae are long and simple; the legs long, with 

 elongate tarsi and an appendage to the claw. Some of the common forms 

 are vividly marked with bands of colour red, orange, etc. whilst others 

 are of brilliant metallic hue throughout, blues and browns ; others, again, 

 are dull browns or blacks or purples. The forest species known reach up to 

 about i^in. in length. 



Many of these insects fly and run quickly and well, and are to be found 

 on the wing both in the sunshine and heavy rainy weather. Some forms 

 appear to move about in swarms after the fashion of the locust or the bark 

 beetles. The beautiful green Cantharis antennalis has this habit in the 



