240 



COLEOPTERA 



CHAP. 



some forty or fifty species, found chiefly in Europe and North 

 America. "We have three in Britain ; one of these, j\Iycctc 

 hirta is very common, and may be found in abundance in cellars 

 in the heart of London, as well as elsewhere ; it is said to have 

 injured the corks of wine-bottles, and to have caused leakage 

 of the wine, but we think that it perhaps only increases some 

 previous deficiency in the corkage, for its natural food is fungoid 

 matters. The larva is remarkable on account of the clubbed 

 hairs at the sides of the body. 



Fam. 41. Latridiidae. Tarsi three-jointed; anterior coxed 

 cavities round, not prolonged externally ; abdomen with Jive visible 

 and mobile ventral segments. Very small Insects, species of which 

 are numerous in most parts of the world, the individuals being 

 sometimes very abundant. The larvae (Fig. 120, A) are said by 

 Ferris to have the mandibles replaced by fleshy appendages. The 

 pupa of Latridius is remarkable, on account of the numerous long 

 hairs with heads instead of points ; the larva of Corticaria is 

 very like that of Latridius, but some of the hairs are replaced by 

 obconical projections. The sub-family Monotomides is by many 

 treated as a distinct family ; they have the elytra truncate behind, 

 exposing the pygidium, and the coxae are very small and very 

 deeply embedded. Most of the Latridiidae are believed to live on 

 fungoid matters ; species of Monotoma 

 live in ants' nests, but probably have 

 no relations with the ants. A few 

 species of Latridiides proper also main- 

 tain a similar life; Coluocera formicaria 

 is said to be fond of the stores laid up 

 by Aphaenogaster structor in its nests. 

 About 700 species are now known; 

 scarcely any of the individuals are more 

 than one-tenth of an inch long. We FIG. 120. LotrUUns 

 have about 40 species in Britain. The 

 North American genus Stephostethus has 

 the prosternum constructed behind the coxae, somewhat in the 

 same manner as it is in the Rhynchophorous series of Coleoptera. 



Fam. 42. Adimeridae. Tarsi appearing only tiro-jointed, 

 a broad basal joint and an elongate claw-bearing joint, but between 

 the two there are two very small joints. This family consists 

 only of the American genus Adimerus ; nothing is known of 



