COLEOPTERA. 513 



Malachius, Fabr., has beneath each of the anterior angples of the thorax and eacli side of the base of the abdowen 

 a retractile vesicle capable of dilatation, and which the animal protrudes when it is alarmed, but of the use of « hic!i 

 we are iafuorant. The body is shorter than in the following g^enus, with the thorax broader than long. One of the 

 sexes has in some species a hook at the tip of the elytra; the basal joint of the antennae is often dilated and irrs- 

 g^Iar-shaped in the males ; their colours are agreeable. [These are active, pretty little insects, found in the spring 

 and summer months, especially frequenting umbelliferous plants to prey upon the weaker insects which inhabit 

 those flowers.] Tj^pes, Cantharis tenea, Linn., and Cantharis hipusUdata, Linn, [two very common British species]. 



Dasytes, Fabr., has filiform palpi ; the thorax is not furnished with vesicles ; the antennae at least as long as 

 the head and thorax, and the body generally narrow, and sometimes linear. D. c<eruleus, Fabr. 



Zygia, Fabr., and Melyris proper are composed of exotic species, having the ungues unidentate; the antennae 

 shorter than the head and thorax, and the body shorter and of a more solid consistence. 



Pelecophorus, Dejean, has the maxillary palpi terminated by a large hatchet-shaped joint. Notoxus IlUgeri, Sch. 



Diglobicerus, Latr., has the antennae only distinctly 10-jointed, the last two joints being large and globular. 



The fourth tribe of the Malacodermi, that of the Clerii, so named from the typical genus Clems, is 

 distinguished by the following characters : — Two of the palpi at least are advanced, and terminated in 

 a mass ; the mandibles are dentate ; the penultimate joint of the tarsi bilobed, and the first very short, 

 or indistinct in many species ; the antennae are either filiform or serrated, and sometimes clavate, or 

 gradually thickened to the tips ; the body is ordinarily almost cyhndrical, with the head and thorax 

 narrower than the abdomen, and the eyes notched. The majority are found upon flowers, and the 

 others upon the trunks of old trees, or in dry wood. Such of the larvae as have been observed are 

 carnivorous. This tribe comprises the genus 



Clerus, Geoft'.,— 

 Some of which have the tarsi, when seen either from above or below, distinctly 5-jointed ; and the 

 antennae are always dentated like a saw. 

 Cylidrus, Fabr., having long entire mandibles (type, Trichodes cyaneus, Fabr., from the Isle of France) ; and 

 Tillm, Oliv., having the mandibles of moderate size, and notched at the tip (type, THlus elongatus, Oliv., a 

 rare British species), have the maxillary palpi filiform, or but slightly thickened at the tips ; whilst 



Priocera and Axina, Kirby, founded upon Brazilian insects, have all the palpi terminated by a mass, the last 

 joint of the labial palpi being always hatchet-shaped. 



Eurypus, Kirby, difters from the last two in having only the penultimate joint of the tarsi bilobed. This is also 

 founded upon a Brazilian species. 



In others the tarsi, when seen from above, only appear to be composed of four joints, the first of the five ordi- 

 nary joints being very short, and concealed beneath the second. 



Thmiagimiis, Latr., Clerus, Fabr., having the maxillary palpi filiform (type, Attelabui formicaritis, Linn.) ; and 

 Opilo, Latr., Notoxus, Fabr., having all the four palui terminated by a large hatchet-shaped joint (type, Atte- 

 iabus mollis, Linn.), have the antenuK gradually thickened to the tip, but in the remaining 

 groups the last three joints form a sudden mass. 



Clerus, Geoff. (Trichodes, Fabr.), has the maxillary palpi terminated by a reversed triangular 

 compressed joint, whilst that of the labial is larger, and hatchet-shaped ; the joints of the club 

 of the antennae are close together ; the thorax is depressed in front. The perfect insects are 

 found upon flowers, but the larvas feed upon the grubs of some kinds of Bees. 



Trichodes alvearius, Fabr. — Blue, with red elytra banded with blue ; lives in the nest of 



Mason Bees (G. osmia, Reaum.), and feeds at the expense of their posterity. The larva of Atte- 



labus apiarius, Linn., devours that of the Honey Bee, and often does much damage in hives. 



Necrobia, Latr. (Corynetes, Fabr.), has the four palpi terminated by a joint of the same size, 



Fig. 60.— Clerus aive- in the form of an elongated and compressed triangle; the joints of the club of the antennae 



"■'"'■ apart, and the thorax is not depressed in front. Necrobia violacea, Oliv. ; Dermestes violacea, 



Linn. Very common in houses and upon carcases. 



Enoplium, Latr., has the ninth and tenth joints of the antennae produced on the inside into a long tooth. TiUus 

 serraiicornis, Oliv. 



The fifth tribe of the Malacodermi, that of the Ptiniores, has for its type the genus Ptinus, Linn., 

 and some others which are derived from, or most nearly approach it. The body of these insects is of 

 rather solid consistence, sometimes ovoid or oval, or sometimes cylindrical, but generally short, and 

 rounded at each end ; the head is almost orbicular, and received in the thorax, which is very much 

 swollen, or hood-shaped ; the antennae of some are filiform, or become gradually slender to the tip, 

 either simple or flabellate, pectinated or serrated, and those of others terminate in three joints abruptly 

 thicker and longer than the preceding joints ; the mandil)les are short, thick, and toothed ; the paljji 

 are very short, and terminated by a larger joint, almost oval, or reverse triangle-shaped ; the tibia; are 

 not toothed, and the spurs at their tips are very small ; their colours are always obscure and but slightlv 



2l 



