232 



COLEOPTERA 



CHAP. 



the genera Meligethes and Epuraea are among the most abundant 

 of our beetles. Most of what is known as to the larvae is 

 due to Ferris ; several have been found living in flowers ; that 

 of Pria haunts the flower of Solanum dulcamara at the junction 

 of the stamens with the corolla ; the larva of Meligethes aeneus 



sometimes occasions much loss by prevent- 

 ing the formation of seed in cultivated 

 Cruciferae, such as Rape. These floricolous 

 larvae grow with great rapidity, and then 

 leave the flowers to pupate in the ground. 

 The larva of Nitid-ula lives in carcases, 

 though it is not very different from that 

 of Pria. The larva of Soronia lives in 



FIG. 112. Pria duicamame. fermenting sap, and has four hooks curv- 

 Britain. A, Larva (after i n g upwards at the extremity of the body. 



Ferris) ; B, perfect Insect. ,, . /-v 7 -r 7 ", 



Ihe curious genus Cybocephaius consists 



of some very small, extremely convex Insects that live in flowers 

 in Southern Europe ; they have only four joints to the tarsi. 

 The perfect Insects of the group Ipides are remarkable from 

 having a stridulating organ on the front of the head. The classi- 

 fication of the well-known genus Rhizophagus has given rise to 

 much discussion ; although now usually placed in Nitidulidae, 

 we think it undoubtedly belongs to Cucujidae. 



Fam. 29. Trogositidae. Differs from Nitidididae in the struc- 

 ture of the tarsi ; these appear to be four- 

 jointed, with the third joint similar in 

 size and form to the preceding ; they 

 are, however, really five-jointed, an ex- 

 tremely short basal joint being present. 

 Hind coxae contiguous. The club of each 

 antenna is bilaterally asymmetric, and 

 the sensitive surface is confined to certain 

 parts of the joints. There are some 400 

 or 500 species of Trogositidae, but nearly 

 all of them are exotic. The larvae (Fig. 

 113, A), are predaceous, destroying other FIG. 113. Temnocirila coeruha. 



, , n ., Europe. A, Larva (after 



larvae in large numbers, and it is pro- Perris) . B) perfect Insect . 

 bable that the imagos do the same. 



The larva of Tenebroides (better known as Trogosita} mauritanica 

 is found in corn and flour, and is said to have sometimes been very 



