232 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Family HISTERIDiE. 



This family of beetles is recognizable by the short chunky form, shining 

 black color, the elytra squarely cut off behind, leaving the end of the abdomen 

 exposed, somewhat flattened above. The legs are short, the tibiae broad and 

 flat, fitted for digging. Antennae are short, with a rounded club, or capitate. 

 They are found in or under excrement and in decaying animal and vegetable 



Fig. 92. — Hister arcuaius and H. bimacttlatus : much enlarged. 



matter of all kinds. A few are flattened and more oblong and these live under 

 bark. The larvae feed as a rule in the substances among which the adults are 

 found. As a whole the beetles are scavengers, therefore beneficial rather than 

 otherwise ; yet not of any great impoitance to the agriculturist. 



HOLOLEPTA Payk. 



K. lucida Lee. Hudson Co. (LI), Ft. Lee, under bark of chestnut (Bt) ; also 

 under freshly loosened bark of other trees, the species of this genus being 

 very flat. 



H. fossularis Say. Throughout the State, under bark or in bark layers. 



HISTER Linn. 



H. planipes Lee. Ft. Lee, IV, under stones with ants (Bt), Woodside, IV, 3, 



in ants' nests (Bf), Newark (Dkn). 

 H. arcuatus Say. Along shore, more or less common; also Madison (Pr), 



Newark (Bf). 



H. biplagiatus Lee. West Bergen, V, 31 (Bf), Westville (Li), Brigantine 



beach, IX (Hn), g. d. (W), Anglesea, VII. 

 H. harrisii Kirby. Ft. Lee (Bt). 



H. merdarius Hoffm. Hopatcong (Pm), New Brunswick, Anglesea. 

 H. interruptus Beauv. Ft. Lee (Bt), Hudson Co. (LI), Newark district (Bf), 



Spring Lake (Ch), g. d. (W, Li), Union Co., IV : one of our common 



species. 



