MR. A. MURRAY'S MONOGRAPH OF THE FAMILY OF NITIDULARLE. 281 
^ They live upon flowers, and are comparatively few in number. 
They may be divided into two genera, according to whether the claws of the tarsi are - 
toothed or not, each of which, again, may be further subdivided. 
The following dichotomous table shows some of the characters of the different genera 
into which they may be classed :— 
Unguessimple. . . qe AIL IU ا‎ UE | 
bi i toothed at the e Ea 7. w ($4 4. M 9 - » EMEN M. 
1 Mia simple in both sexes . . oS ou ne ur can ONE 
un with an accessory segment in 5-5 V um du wo Conc NEM 
| Genus CERCUS. 
1 Latr. Préc. d. car. gén. d. Ins. 68 (1796). — Erichs. in Germ. Zeitschr. iv. 228 (1843). Sturm, Deutschl. 
| Faun. xv. 1. taf. 288 (1844).  Erichs. Naturg. Ins. Deutschl. iii. 126 (1848). Redtenb. Faun. Austr. 
gen. 124. p. 161 (1849). Lacord. Hist. des Coléopt. ii. 291 (1854). Jacq. Duval, Gen. des Coléopt. 
d'Europe, ii. 135 (1857-59). 
Fig. 25. 
Unguiculi simplices. 
| ) Claw of Cercus. 
i Besides the claws of the tarsi being simple in this genus, the last article of the labial 
| palpi is usually oval. Erichson made this character a point of distinction between Cercus 
and Brachypterus, in which it is usually subglobose; but some of the species of the latter 
| from California have the article in question elongate-oval, and therefore it cannot be 
| used to distinguish them. A similar remark applies to a character drawn by Erichson 
from the pygidium, to which there is, according to him, a small appendage added in 
the males and not in the females in Brachypterus, while it continues simple in both sexes 
in Cercus. Leconte’s genus Amartus, however, which has the simple claws of Cercus, 
has this supplementary piece added to the pygidium in the males. That character 
occurring in both, can therefore be used only to distinguish subsections in each genus. 
CARPOPHILUS. 
Position and Affinities.—Bracuyprervs. CERCUS. Mysrrops. 
MELIGETHES. ! 
Different authors have divided the genus Cercus into four genera. I do not think 
they are called for; but as they may be of use in rendering the determination of the 
species belonging to it more easy, I have given them here as subgenera. They may be 
thus distinguished :— 
First and second articles of the antennz simple . 
pls and second articles of the antennz much dilated iı in the vales. Subg. Anomeocera. 
Pygidium with a supplementary anal piece in the males . . . . Amartus. 
: ied without a supplementary anal piece in the males . . . 2 
Pronotum with the posterior angles rounded . . . . . . . . Subg. Cercus. 
neum with the posterior angles right-angled Subg. Heterhelus. 
2H 2 
