COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 



627 



Genus. Haepalcs.— Tarsi of four front feet with three or 

 four first joints wide, and heart-shaped. 



Slirps. HYDRADEPHAGA.—Legs for swimming, two lat- 

 ter pairs flat and fringed with hairs. Body oval and mostly flat. 

 Mandibles short and strong. Thorax broader than long. 



Family. DYTICIDiE.— Front legs short; antenna" long. 



Genus. Dyticus.— Tarsi of males wide and flat. Eyes at 

 edge of head, which is drawn into the thorax as far as eyes. 

 Last joint of maxillary palpus oval, and larger than others. 



Genus. Ilybius. — Elytra smooth. Body very convex, nar- 

 row between; second and third joints of labial palpi nearly 

 equal. 



Family. GYHINID.E.— Front legs long; antennae short. 



Genus. Gyrixts. — Antennae shorter than head, nine-jointed. 

 Eyes divided by lateral edge of head. Elytra not covering tip 

 of abdomen. 



Sub-section. Rypophaga. — Palpi four; antennae more or less 

 complex; basal joints of male tarsi dilated. 



Slirps. MIiA(:HELYTRA.—Y.\ytrn very short; legs for swim- 

 ming; antennae increasing gradually to tip. 



Family. STAPHYLINIDJE. -Head very distinct; neck narrow. 

 Antennas set between or in front of eyes. Mandibles long, hav- 

 ing on the inside a fringed membranous apparatus. 



Genus. Staphyi,inus (including Octpcjs and Creophilur). 

 — Antennae distant at base. 



Slirps. NEC ROPRAGA— Elytra mostly covering abdomen. 

 Antennae often knobbed at tip. 



Family. SILPHIDJE.— Body flat; head bent rather down, 

 ward. Maxillae two-lobed. Antenna; thickened at tips. Legs 

 not contractile. 



Genus. Silpha. — Antennae longer than head, club pear- 

 shaped; a hook inside maxilla;. Head small; thorax broad. 



Genus. NecrOPHOKus.— Anteume short, club globular. No 

 hook or maxilla;. 



Stirps. CLA VICORNES.— Antennae club-shaped. 



Family. mSTERIDiE.— Body squared, shining. Antenna; 

 short, elbowed; club three-jointed. Elytra short; legs toothed. 



Genus. Histkr.— Head small. Elytra shorter than abdo- 

 men, blunt, head retractile. 



Section. CHILOCNATHOMORPHA.-buiTO with 



long and cylindrical body; cud of abdomen curved under 

 breast. 



Slirps. LAMELLICORXES.—Ch\h of antenna' formed of 

 teeth or plates. 



Family. MELOLONTHID.E.- Labruin two-lobed; mandibles 

 strong. Maxillae with several teeth at tip. Club of antennae 

 formed of flattened plates. Elytra not quite reaching ex- 

 tremity of abdomen. 



Genus. Meloloxtha. — Club with six or seven joints; claws 

 equal, with basal tooth. 



Family. LUCANIDiE.— Club-toothed. 



Genus. Lucanus. — Mandibles of male very large, like stag's 

 horns; those of female, short, sharp, stout, and curved. Club 

 of antennae four-jointed. 



Family. GEOTRUPIDJE — Maxillary lobes membranous; man- 

 dibles projecting. Elytra rounded behind, and covering abdo- 

 men. Club large, globular. Thorax broader than long. 



Genus. G-eotrupes. — Antennae eleven-jointed, third joint 

 larger than second; neither thorax nor head armed. Body 

 rounded. 



Family. SCARABEIDJE — Clypeus large, concealing mandi- 

 bles, which have a fringed membranous plate at their tips. 

 Antennae eight or nine-jointed. Body rather flattened. 



Genus. SCARABEUR. — Head similar in sexes, not horned. 

 Thorax of male often horned or tuhercled. Hot countries. 



Genus. 'Chalcosoma. — Head, one horn, reflected, toothed 

 behind. Maxillary palpi four-jointed; labial three-jointed. 

 Thorax three-homed, central very short. Hot countries. 



Family. RUTELIDJE.— Antenna' ten-jointed; club three- 

 jointed. Mandibles short, horny, notched on outer edge near 

 tip. Maxilla; short, with several teeth. Elytra not reaching 

 to end of abdomen. 



Genus. Chrysophora. — Hind legs of male with broad 

 thighs, and tibiae armed with long triangular spur, turned in- 

 wards. Peru. 



Family. DYNASTID^:.— Head or thorax, or both, homed or 

 tuberculated in males. Clypeus small and triangular, pointed 

 or toothed in front. Jaws strong, horny, toothed. Antennae 

 ten-jointed, club three-jointed. 



Genus. Cueloruina. — Thorax not horned. Head three- 

 horned, the centre horn projecting, curved upwards, and two- 

 cleft at tip. Tropics. 



Section. PRIOCERATA.— Antennae serrated. 



Stirps. MACROSTERNI.— Thorax large and long. 



Family. BUPRESTIDJE.— Body long; tips of elytra often 

 toothed. Head very short; antennas serrated. Tarsi short. 



Genus. Chrysochroa. — Thorax very broad in middle, nar- 

 rowing to neck. Eyes large. Elytra narrowing behind. 

 Colors always brilliant. India. 



Family. ELATERIDiE. — Body hard; antennae short and ser- 

 rated; head sunk in thorax as far as eyes. Thorax with hinder 

 angles lengthened at spines. Limbs very short. 



Genus. Pyrophorus. — Antenna; rather stout; elytra sharply 

 pointed. Light-emitting spot near each hinder angle of thorax, 

 and two more under elytra. Brazil. 



Stirps. APROSTERNI, — Thorax moderate; body mostly 

 soft. 



Family. LAMPYRIDiE.— Body long and flat; head small; 

 thorax extending over head; antennae often toothed or ser- 

 rated. 



Genus. Lampyris. — No beak to head, which is covered by 

 thorax. Female wingless. 



Family. TELEPHORIDJE — Botli sexes winged; head pro- 

 jecting. Last joint but one of the tarsi with two lobes. 



Family. PTINIDJE. — Body oval or cylindric. Head sunk 

 into thorax as far as eyes; antenna' longish; thorax broad in 

 front. 



Genus. Mezium. — Elytra globular; thorax furrowed; wings 

 none. 



Genus. Ptilixus. — Body cylindric. Antenna; of male comb- 

 like. 



Genus. Axobium. — Antennae with three last joints largest, 

 last joint egg-shaped. Body longish and egg-shaped. 



Section. HETE ROM ERA.— Four front tarsi five-jointed, 

 last pair four-jointed. 



Family. PYROCHROIDJE.— Body flattened; neck distinct; 

 front part of body narrow. Abdomen broader than thorax, 

 rounded at tip. Anteume of males serrated. 



Genus. Pyrochroa. — Antennae larger than head and 

 thorax; comb-like in male. 



Family. MORDELLIDJE.— Body elevated and arched; head 

 very low. 



Genus. Ripiphoris. — Scutellum concealed; antennae of male 

 comb-like. 



Feumly. CANTHARID.E.— Head wide behind eyes, then nar- 

 rowed to short neck. Supplementary claws to tarsi. Abdomen 

 soft; thorax narrow behind. 



Genus. CANTHARIS. — Narrow, two wings; elytra long. 



Genus. SlTARIS. — Elytra narrowed, not overlapping; wings 

 two. Antenna; simple. 



Genus. Meloe. — Elytra short, overlapping. Wings none. 

 Antenna; various. 



