iQi Prof. J. C. Schjodte on the Classijicatiun 



degree engrossed by this part of its activity that the beetle's 

 own nutritive life cannot be expected to express itself very 

 strongly in its structure. The Elateridse, on the contrary, are, as 

 larva;, carnivorous ; and consequently we find amongst them a 

 a great variety of forms, according to the mode of life of the 

 prey ; and the corresponding demands for the equipment of the 

 perfect beetle with regard to propagation causes a far richer 

 variety of form among the Elateridse than among the Buprestidse. 

 In those Elateridse which, as larvae, hunt their prey in closed 

 galleries in timber, the faculty of springing is reduced in power 

 and facility, whilst that of flying is more developed, and the 

 animal then approaches somewhat to Buprestidse in outer form, 

 sculpture, &c., — thus, particularly, in Melasini and Eucnemidini, 

 especially in exotic genera, as Pterotarsus. Those Elateridse, on 

 the contrary, which, in the larval state, seek their food in less 

 circumscribed localities are more developed as "clickers'' than 

 for flying, and therefore occupy a place in every respect oppo- 

 site that of the others : excellent instances of this combination 

 are afforded by many species of the group Diacanthus and con- 

 geners. The majority of Elateridse stand between these two 

 extremes, inclining sometimes more to one than the other. 

 Elatei'idse are consequently to a certain extent placed under 

 equal conditions with true carnivorous beetles — that is, such as 

 live on animal food in all stages of their existence ; and it is 

 therefore natural to expect further analogies with such beetles — 

 as, for instance, with Carabidse. Accordingly we find that they 

 live in shade, or are mostly active at night, with close, fine, and 

 minute sculpture, regularly ribbed (striated) elytra covered with 

 short and fine hair; their colours are mostly dark and dull, 

 principally black, brown, or ferruginous ; some are more 

 vividly coloured, red, or with checquei-ed light and dark designs, 

 or even with metaUic lustre ; but they rarely attain and never 

 surpass that degree of splendour and lustre which is met with 

 amongst Carabidse. Elateridse possess similar round eyes, and 

 longer antenuse ; and though the legs, for the sake of the spring- 

 ing~faculty, cannot be very strongly developed, they nevertheless 

 retain the character of running-legs by the trochanters of the 

 third pair being large and "supporting," as in Carabidse*. Nor is 

 the analogy with Carabidse deficient in this point — that amongst 

 Elateridse one group (viz. Cebrionini) is calculated for digging 

 in the ground, just as several genera amongst Carabidse. It is, 

 however, time to turn our attention to the structure of the 

 mouth. 



* Latreille has already pointed this out in the Elateres properly so- 

 called : " Femora postica ad basin appendice trochanteriformi instructa" 

 (Gen. Crust, et Ins. i, 2. p. 248). 



