52 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA. 



Family LXL— (EDEMERID/E, Leach. 



Mandibles bifid at their extremities, or the tip entire and much bent : maxillae 

 w\i\\ the exterior Jacinia elongate, slender: mentum short, sometimes longer 

 than broad : hilnum membranaceous : jjalpi with the terminal joint generally 

 subobconic, or subobtrigonate, sometimes very large. Antennae 10-12 

 johited, filiform, with cylindric joints, or setaceous with obconic or obtri- 

 gonal joints, sometimes nearly as long as the body : head not cordate, 

 inserted deeply in the thorax, the latter subquadrate, narrowed behind, or 

 transverse orbiculate : clypeus more or less porrect : body usually elongate, 

 flat on the back : elytra free ; wings ample : legs moderate ; tarsi with the 

 penultimate joint generally bifid; the posterior rarely with five joints : 

 claws simple. 



The insects of this family are mostly of gay and lively colours, 

 oftentimes brilliantly metallic; they have the body oblong, rather 

 soft, their antennae rather long, composed of from 10 to 12 joints, 

 the palpi mostly of subequal length and often subfiliform, the 

 clypeus more or less advanced, and the tarsi furnished with simple 

 claws, by which last character they may be readily divided from the 

 Cantharidas. 



In their first stage these insects appear to be xylophagous, and in 

 their perfect state they frequent flowers, especially of the syngane- 

 sious and umbelliferous kinds. The indigenous species may be thus 

 distinguished into genera : 



Tarsi postid 4-articulati. / 



Aniennm ll-aut l2-articulat£e. 

 Elytra subulata. 



Mandibults apice indivisffi : . . . . . 458. Sitaris. 



bifida^: 460. (EbemERA. 



Elytra haud subulata. 

 Antennce filiformes aut setacese, haud serratse. 

 Thorax immarginatus, oblongus. 



i^'^OToro omnia subaequales : .... 459. Ischnomera. 



postica plus minus incrassatse ; . . 461. Oncomeba. 



TAoraa; marginatus transverse-orbiculatus : . . 462. Nothus. 



AntenncB seriatx : . 464. Calopus. 



Antennae lO-articulatse : 463. Conopalpus. 



Tarsi postici S-articulati. 



_4nfe«?Z£P simplices, subfusiformes : 465. Lymexylon. 



serratffi: .... .... 466. Hylec^tus. 



