The Beetles of the Downs 



terist), Fig. 3, Plate IV. It belongs to the great group 

 Clavicornia, as can be seen from the distinct club of its 

 long antennae. The most characteristic feature, however, 

 is its excessively long clubbed and jointed palpi, which 

 look almost like a second pair of subsidiary antennae. 

 Its extreme size is 2 mm. long, the head broad with 

 prominent eyes, the thorax very small of a long oval 

 shape and the hind body conical, so that the junction 

 of thorax and elytra make a very distinct " waist." 

 The elytra, which under the glass can be seen to be 

 plainly grooved, are shining red-brown and only about 

 half cover the abdomen, but that does not make it in 

 the least like any member of the Brachelytra ; the legs 

 are very long, red-brown like the rest of the body. There 

 is only one other and that a very rare member of this 

 genus, but in the family PselaphidcB there are quite a 

 number of genera and of species, all very small, none of 

 them, in fact, reaching 2 mm., which have the same 

 general look as this P. hcisei the long heavy antennae, 

 the very long heavily clubbed palpi, conical abdomen 

 and abbreviated elytra, black, brown or dark red in 

 colour. Some occur in moss, others in rotten wood or 

 vegetable refuse, but they are all so small and incon- 

 spicuous that unless one keeps a special look-out for them 

 they will probably escape notice. 



There is a large genus of the Brachelytra called Stenus 

 (of which a species will be seen on Plate III., Fig. n) 

 which have quite a characteristic look unlike any other 

 of the sub-group, a broad head with large projecting 

 eyes, antennae distinctly clubbed, a narrow thorax, their 



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