Cyrtotriplax.] CLAVICOBNIA. 185 



Africa, &c. ; they may be known by their ovate form, and by having the 

 base of the thorax unmargined, as well as by the very long third joint of the 

 antennas. The genus Gyrtotriplax was separated by Crotch from Tritoma, 

 but Horn again joins them on the ground that the differences are insuffi- 

 cient ; it is, however, best to adopt the name Cyrtotriplax, as Tritoma 

 is now applied by many authors to Mycetopliagus. 



The larva of C. lipustulata is described and figured by Ferris, Larves des Coleopteres, 

 p. 570, figs. 570 579 ; it is 5-6 mm. in length, rather broad, slightly narrowed in 

 front and behind, of a yellowish-white colour, with bands of reddish-brown, scantily 

 clothed with very short hairs, and terminated by two short hooks at the end of the 

 anal segment, which is bifid ; the head is narrower than the prothorax, which is the 

 longest of the segments; the antennae and legs are very short ; the larva lives in fungi 

 in company with the perfect insect. 



C. bipustulata, F. Ovate, broadest in middle, narrowed in front 

 and behind, black, shining, with a large red spot at shoulders of each 

 elytron, which often nearly meet at suture and enclose a dark space 

 about scutellum : the humeral callosity is often black : sometimes the 

 thorax is red ; head moderate, antennae rather short, red, with distinct 

 black 3-jointed club ; thorax transverse, narrowed gradually in front, 

 finely and not closely punctured ; elytra at base about as broad as base 

 of thorax and continuing its outline, with regular rows of fine and closely 

 set punctures, interstices very finely punctured ; legs black, tarsi reddish, 

 tibia3 dilated at apex, all the coxae very widely distant. L. 3-4 mm. 



In fungoid growth on old trees and rotten stumps ; local, and, as a rule, rare ; 

 London district, not uncommon in some localities, Darenth Wood, Richmond Park, 

 Mickleham, Sanderstead, Coombe Wood, Birch Wood; Epping Forest; The Holt, 

 Farnharn ; St. Leonards Forest ; Glanvilles Wootton; New Forest; Northumberland 

 district, Dilston (G. Wailes) ; it has not been found in Scotland ; it seems strange 

 that there should be no record from any locality between the Thames district and the 

 extreme north of England, 



COLYDIIDJE. 



In the Munich catalogue ninety-two genera and three hundred and 

 thirty-nine species are assigned to this family ; these, however, have since 

 been considerably increased by the researches of Mr. Lewis, Dr. Sharp, 

 and others ; in the European Catalogue of Heyden, Reitter, and Weise 

 (1883), twenty-nine genera, containing about sixty species, are enu- 

 merated j in Britain, however, only fifteen species, belonging to ten 

 genera, have hitherto been recorded ; to these are added Murmidius and 

 Langelandia, which appear to belong to this family rather than to the 

 Histeridse and Lathridiidae, to which they have, as a rule, been respectively 

 assigned. I have also, following Thomson, included Myrmecoxenus. 

 The Colydiidae may be known from the allied families by the 4-jointed 

 simple tarsi and the fact that the anterior ventral segments are more or 

 less connate ; the anterior coxa3 are usually small and globular ; the 

 anterior coxal cavities are sometimes closed and sometimes open behind ; 

 they are found as a rule under bark of trees, in decaying wood, or in 



