Mi>\in<lritii1oe.~\ HETEROMERA. 33 



received into the thorax as far as the eyes, which are either entire or 

 emarginate ; mandibles short ; maxillae with two .flattened lobes, palpi 

 4-jointed, often long and more or less dilated; antenrae 11 -jointed 

 (except in Conopal/n/s, in which genus they are 10-jointed), usually 

 filiform ; thorax (in our species) as broad behind as base of elytra; 

 mesosternum moderately long, side pieces attaining the coxal cavities; 

 elytra covering abdomen, which is composed of five free ventral seg- 

 ments ; legs usually long and slender ; the species are variable in size 

 and colour, and are found under bark, in rotten wood, or in fungi. 



The family has by some authors been divided into several tribe? ; 

 only two, however, are here adopted, as far as the British fauna is con- 

 cerned ; these may be distinguished a? follows: 



I. Antennae with the last four joints forming a very abrupt, strong 



and distinct club TETR.VTOMINA. 



II. Antennae as a rule filiform or very gradually thickened, in one 



or two cases forming a rather strong but not abrupt club . . . MELA:SDRYIXA. 



TETRATOMINA. 



Th r ? tribe contains only one genus, which may be known by the 

 string 4-jointed club of the antennae ; the palpi are short and not 

 much dilated ; the tibial spurs are small and the coxae not contiguous ; 

 the species are small, or rather small, oval and convex insects, and live 

 in fungi. Thomson classes them with the Mycetophagidae, to which 

 they bear a somewhat close relation. 



TETRATOMA, Fabricius. 



Seven species are contained in this genus, one of which is found in 



Kamtschatka, two occur in North America, and four in Europe; of 



these three are inhabitants of Britain, and may be distinguished as 



follows : 



I. Thorax red ; elytra black, with a bluish or greenish 



reflection T. FCXGOBUM, F. 



II. Upper surface entirely black, often with a slight greenish 



reflection T. DESMARESTI, Lair. 



III. Upper surface reudish or yellowish brown or testaceous, 

 with more or less distinct black markings ou elytra ; 



size smaller T. AXCORA, F, 



T. fung-orum, F. Oblong, subparallel, convex, shining, head 

 black, thorax red, elytra deep blue, under-side reddish-testaceous ; head 

 subtriangular, rather coarsely punctured, with an impression on vertex, 

 antennae red with the club black; thorax very transverse, with the sides 

 rounded aud narrowed in front, coarsely and not very closely punctured ; 

 scutellum dark, almost pentagonal ; elytra about as broad at base us 

 thorax, coarsely and rather closely punctured ; legs clear red. L. 3^- 

 -t-i- mm. 



VOL. v. D 



