Order 5. COLEOPTERA. 533 



THE SECOND FAMILY OF THE COLEOPTERA HETEROMERA,— 



The Taxicornes, — 



Have no corneous hook on the inner edge of the maxillae; they are also furnished with wings ; the body 



is often square ; the thorax trapezoid or semicircular, and concealing or receiving the head ; in some the 



antennae, generally inserted beneath the produced margin of the sides of the head, are short, more or 



less perfoliated, gradually thickened, or terminating in a mass. The feet are fit only for running, and 



all the joints of the tarsi are entire, and terminated by simple hooks ; the fore-tibiae often broad and 



triangular ; many males have the head furnished with horns. The majority of these beetles are found 



in fungi growing on trees, or beneath the bark ; others live in the ground, under stones. 



Some, forming the first tribe, Diaperales, have the head entirely exposed, and never entirely received 



in a deep notch of the front of the thorax, which is either trapezoid, square, or subcylindric, its sides 



like those of the elytra, not forming a decided margin to the body. This tribe has for its type the 



genus 



Dtaperis, — 



Of which some have the antennae thick, straight, and perfoliated or clavate. 



Phaleria, Latr. (Uloma and Phaleria, Dej.), has the fore-tibiae broad and triang-ular, the body ovoid, and the an- 

 tennae not terminated by a club. A numerous subgenus, divided by Dejean into several others, the type, Tene- 

 brio cadaverinus [the only British species found on the coast], being retained as the type of Phaleria. 



JMaperis proper, has the fore-legs narrow and nearly linear, with the maxillary palpi terminated by a sub- 

 cylindrical joint. Type, Z)(a^eW» 6o/Wi [a handsome but rare British species], nearly one third of an inch long, 

 black, with three dentate bands of orange on the elytra. 



[The insects of this genus have formed the subject of a valuable monograph by Laporte and Brull^, in the An- 

 nates des Sci. Nat.] 



Hiipophlueus, Fabr., differs from the preceding in the linear form of the body. They are found under the bark 

 of trees. H. castaneus, [a rare British species]. 



The three following have the antennae terminated by an abrupt club, composed at least of four joints. 



Trachyscelis, Latr., with the antennae scarcely larger than the head, having a 6-jointed club ; body thick, convex, 

 and tibia broad and fossorial. [T. Aphodioides, a reputed British species of small size.] 



Leioides, Latr. (Anisotomn, Illig.), differs in having the tibiae narrow and spinose, club of antennae 5-jointed. [A 

 very numerous genus, of minute species.] 



Teratoma, Herbst., has the body longer, and the club of the antennae 4-jointed. [T. fenigorum, and several other 

 British species of small size, found in fungi.] 



The antennae in the others are curved, and terminated by a 5 or 3-jointed perfoliated club ; the palpi filiform, 

 the head of the males often cornuted. They are found in boleti growing on trees : they form the genus Eledona, 

 Latr., Boletophagus, Fab. 



Coxelus has the three terminal joints alone of the antennae forming the club. (C. spinulosus.) 



The second tribe of the Taxicornes, the Cossyphenes, is formed of species resembling, in the general 

 form of the body, Peltis, Nitidula, and Cassida, being ovoid or subhemispherical, margined all round 

 by the dilated edges of the thorax and elytra ; the head entirely hidden beneath the thorax, or received 

 into a very deep notch in the front of this part of the body ; the maxillary palpi are hatchet-shaped. 

 This tribe is composed of the genus 



COSSYPHUS, Oliv. 



Cossyphits proper, having the front of the thorax entire and produced over the head, (consisting of exotic 

 species,) and 



Helceus, Latr., with the head received in a deep frontal notch of the thorax, or exposed through a central aperture 

 (composed of Australian species), have the body flattened and shield-shaped, whilst in 



Nilio, Latr., it is nearly hemispherical, with the head also exposed. [Composed of e-xotic species, having much 

 the appearance of Lady-birds.] 



THE THIRD FAMILY OF THE COLEOPTERA HETEROMERA,— 



The Stenelytra, — 

 Differs from the preceding only in the antennae, which are neither moniliform nor perfoliated, and in 

 ■which the tip is not generally thickened. The body is often oblong, arched above, with the feet long; 

 the males closely resemble the females. These insects are generally much more active than the preceding ; 

 some are found under the bark of old trees, but many frequent the leaves and flowers; the greater num- 

 ber were united by Linnaeus with the genus Tenebrio ; but he arranged others with Necydalis, 



