133 SERRICORNIA. [TelephwMa. 



TELEPHOEIDjE. 



According to the Muuich catalogue this family contains thirty-sir 

 genera and rather more than six hundred species, which are very 

 widely distributed both in tropical and temperate countries, although 

 they appear to be more characteristic of the latter than of the former ; 

 a very fair proportion of the species occur in Europe, and the family is 

 well represented in Britain; the number of genera and species has 

 recently been much increased by the researches of the Rev. H. S. 

 Gorham and others. 



The family is characterized by having the antennae as a rule filiform 

 and simple, rarely serrate, and the trochanters applied to the femora; 

 the edges of the thorax are often plicate or excised; in the exotic 

 genera this character is in many instances extraordinarily marked ; 

 the abdomen is soft and composed of six or seven segments, the seg- 

 ments being often divided or excised; the claws are either simple or 

 bifid, and are often armed with a tooth at base ; the legs as a rule are 

 long and slender, with the posterior femora projecting far beyond the 

 edges of the elytra. 



The British genera may be divided as follows : 



I. Elytra completely or almost completely covering 



abdomen. 



i. Sides of thorax excised before base in male ; an- 

 tennae serrate Sir.is, Lair. 



ii. Sides of thorax entire ; antenna; filiform. 



1. Head constricted at base, forming a neck ; tibial 



spurs obsolete ; claws split PODABBUS, Westw. 



2. Head not constricted at base ; tibiul spurs more 

 or less distinct ; claws simple or toothed at base, 

 rarely appearing to be split. 



A. Both the tarsal claws on all the feet with a 



thorn-like tooth at base, tooth on the anterior 



claw larger in the female AKCISTBONYCHA, Maerkel. 



15. Outer tarsal claw on all the feet with a more 



or less tooth-like enlargement at base . . . TELEPHOBUS, Schaeff". 

 C. All the claws in both sexes with a tooth 



which being thin, and as long as the claws 



themselves, causes the latter to appear split . KII AOONVCHA, Etch. 



II. Elytra abbreviated ; body very soft and fragile. 



i. Mandibles with a tooth on their inner margin ; 



antenna; inserted at some distance from eyes ; head 



and thorax rugosely punctured MALTHINUS, Latr. 



ii. Mandibles without tooth ; antennae inserted nearer 



to eyes ; head and thorax almost smooth, or finely 



punctured MALTHODES, Kits. 



SXXiZB, Latreille. 



This genus contains a considerable number of species, which rango 

 from Siberia to Brazil ; only twenty-four are enumerated in the Munich 



