﻿V STAPHYLTNIDAE SPHAERIIDAE TRICIIOPTERYGIDAE 2 27 



remarkable Staphylinidae yet discovered are some viviparous 

 species, forming the genera Corotoca and Sjpirachtha, that have 

 very swollen abdomens, and live in the nests of Termites in 

 Brazil : ' very little is, however, known about them. A very 

 Luge and powerful Staphylinid, Velieius di/atatus, lives only in 

 the nests of hornets and wasps. It has been supposed to be a 

 defender of the Hymenoptera, but the recent observations of 

 Janet and Wasmann make it clear that this is not the case : the 

 Velieius has the power of making itself disagreeable to the 

 hornets by some odour, and they do not seriously attack it. The 

 Velieius finds its nutriment in larvae or 

 pupae of the wasps that have fallen from 

 their cells, or in other organic refuse. 



The larvae of Staphylinidae are very 

 similar to those of Carabidae, but their 

 legs are less perfect, and are terminated 

 only by a single claw ; there is no dis- 

 tinct labrum. The pupae of some are 

 obtected, i.e. covered by a secondary exu- 

 dation that glues all the appendages 

 together, and forms a hard coat, as in 

 Lepidoptera. We have about 800 species 

 of Staphylinidae in Britain, and it is prob- 

 able that the family will prove one of the 

 most extensive of the Order. It is prob- 

 able that one hundred thousand species 

 or even more are at present in existence. 



Fam. 20. Sphaeriidae. — Very 

 minute. Antennae eleven-jointed, clubbed. 

 Tarsi three-jointed. Abdomen with only 

 three risible rent ral segments. This family 

 includes only three or four species of In- 

 sects about g 1 ^ of an inch long. They are 

 very convex, and may be found walking 

 on mud. S. acaroides occurs in our fens. 

 Mr. Matthews considers that they are 

 most nearly allied to Hydrophilidae." 



Fam. 21. Trichopterygidae. — Extremely mi nut 



Fig 



. 106. — Trichopteryx fasti- 

 ciUaris. Britain. A. Out- 

 line of perfect Insect ; B, 

 part of upper surface ; C, 

 larva from side ; D, from 

 above ; E, pupa ; F, wing ; 

 G, natural size of imago. 



antennae 



1 Schiodte, Ann. Sri. Nat. Zool. (4) v. 1S57, p. 169. 

 2 Biol. Centr. Amer. Col. ii. pt. i. 1888, p. 156. 



