Coleopterological Notices, VII. 541 



Clidicin^. 

 This subfamily is but scantily represented in the United States 

 by a single genus, containing species which are moderate or small 

 in size, and contrasting greatly in this respect with the large and 

 vigorous members of the genus Clidicns inhabiting Java and ad- 

 jacent warm regions of the world, or even with Mastigus, which is 

 well represented in southern Europe. The fourth palpal joint 

 varies in structure even more than in the Scydraseninse, from the 

 fused and indistinct form of Lcptomastax, to the large, oval and 

 nearly free form of Mastigus, these types of structure affording 

 good criteria for tribal separation. The three tribes represented 

 before may be distinguished by the following characters : — 



Last joirrt of the maxillary palpi very indistinct, forming an oblique, convex, 

 feebly and excentrically pointed surface at the apex of the third, with which 

 it is completely fused, the two forming a stout and evenly suboval mass, 

 which is very minutely and densely pubescent ; presternum greatly developed 

 before the coxse; elytra striato-punctate Leptomastacini 



Last joint small and conical but distinct, rigidly inserted within the tip of 

 the third, with which it is broadly fused, not oblique or only feebly so; pro- 

 sternum moderately developed before the coxse; elytra striato-punctate. 



Clidicini 



Last joint large, oval, wider than, and almost as long as, the third, with 

 which however it is united by a rather broad and subanchylosed base; pro- 

 sternum moderately developed before the coxse ; elytra confusedly punctured. 



Mastigini 



The first and third of these tribes are purely European and are 

 introduced merely for comparison ; the Mastigini lead toward some 

 probably extinct form in the gradual development and isolation 

 of the fourth palpal joint. The association of Leptomastax and 

 Ablepton with Mastigus in a single tribal group, as proposed in the 

 recent catalogue of Heyden, Reitter and Weise,is not philosophic 

 or in accordance with the radical nature of the palpal diflTerences. 



Leptomastax is devoid of all trace of eyes, having the head 

 large, rounded and depressed, the clypeus forming an extremely 

 short transverse piece between the front and the large, corneous 

 and emarginate labrum, and the mandibles extremely long, slender 

 and evenly arcuate, while Ablepton has the head very small and 

 the mandibles much less developed, the eyes being present but ex- 

 tremely rudimentary, consisting of a single small convex facet. 

 Mastigus has the bod}^ very strongly convex, with the head longi- 



Annals N. Y. Acad. Sci., IX., June, 1897.— 36. 



