426 



LissoMus, Dalm. — Lissodes, Lat. — DRAPETEs,3/e^. Dej. *. 



Others again have equally filiform antennae, but their second and 

 third joints are flattened, larger than the following ones, and are 

 alone received into the sternal grooves ; the tarsi are similar to those 

 of Lissomus ; the head is concealed underneath, and as if covered 

 by a semicircular thorax, into which it is plunged. Such is the 



Chelonarium, Fab. 



The antennae, when at rest, extend parallel to each other along the 

 pectus ; the first and the fourth joint are the smallest of all ; the seven 

 following ones are of the same size, and, with the exception of the 

 last, which is ovoid, almost in the form of a reversed cone, and equal. 

 The body is ovoid, and the anterior tibiae are wider than the others, 



All the species known are from South America f. 



The last subgenus of this first division, or 



Throscus, Lat. — ^Trixagus, Kugl. Gyll. — Elateh, Lin. 



Is distinguished from all others of this tribe by the antennae, which 

 terminate in a triarticulated club, and are lodged in a lateral and 

 inferior cavity of the thorax. The penultimate joint of the tarsi is 

 bifid, and the point of the mandibles entire \. 



Our second division of this tribe will include all the Elaterides 

 whose antennae are exterior or exposed. 



AVe will separate, in the first place, those in which the last joint of 

 the palpi, of the maxillaries particularly, is much larger than the 

 preceding ones, and almost securiform. 



A single subgenus, the 



* Dalm., Ephem. Entom., 1824. His Lissomus punctulatus is closely allied to the 

 Drapetes castaneus of Count Dejean, and the Elater Icevigatus of Fabricius. 



One species of this subgenus is found in Europe, the Elaier equestris, Fab. ; Panz., 

 Faun. Insect. Germ., XXXI, 21. 



N. B. Messrs. Lepelletier and Serville — Encyclop. Method., Insect., X, 594 — have 

 formed a little group, with various species of Elater, composed of three genera, and 

 characterized by the presence of the elongated and lobe-like pellets with which the 

 inferior surface of the four first joints of the tarsi are furnished. The first of these 

 genera, Lissode, or the Lissomus, Dalm., is distinguished from the two others by 

 the antennae which are closely approximated at base ; in the others they are remote. 

 Those of the genus Tetralobus are flabelliform in the males. lu the third or 

 Pericallus, they are simply serrated in both sexes. The Elater flaheUicornis, Fab., 

 belongs to the first, and consequently this genus is a division of that which I have 

 named Hemirhipus. The Elaterides ligneus, suturaUs, furcatus, &c., Fab., belong 

 to Pericallus, which will then comprise all the species of my Ctenicera, whose 

 tarsi present the general character above mentioned. 



t Fab., Syst. Eleut., I, 101 ; Lat., Gener. Crust, et Insect., I, viii, 7, and II, 

 44 ; Dalm., Ephem. Entom., 1824, p. 29. This genus is also found in the southern 

 section of North America, where however it is very rare. 



+ Elater dermest aides, L.; E. davicornis, Oliv., Coll. II, 31, VIII, 85, a, h; Der- 

 mestes adstridor, Fab. ; Panz., Faun. Insect. Germ. LXXV, 15. Its larva inhabits 

 oak wood. 



