400 FAMILY Xr. STAPHYiJNIU-Ti;. 



Diociiup Erichs. 1840. (Gr., "to wash away.") 



Small, slender species, liaving Ihe Hntennai nearly 

 straight and the h(-ad oval, much smaller than thorax, 

 the last joint of palpi very small and awl-shaped. 

 (Pig. 160.) One species occurs in the eastern United 

 States and Indiana. 



T7(i (2299). DiocHus schaumii Kraatz., Wien. Bnt. Monat, 

 IV, 18G0, 27. 

 Elongiite, slender. Piceous, shining; legs, and sometimes 

 nSs^^Erichs""'™ the thorax iind tips nf elytra dull yellow ; antenn® brown. 

 Central American ,)fi]ei- .-it base. Head vei'v siiarsely and finely punctate. 



species. X 8. ' . i ^ 



(After Erichson.) Thorax oblong-oval, sides rounded into base and apex, disk 

 with a row of four or five punctures on sides and with four to six faint 

 ones on middle. Elytra one-third wider and .-ibout as long as thtjrax. 

 smooth or nearly so. Abdomen minutely and densely punctate, subopaque, 

 the tip paler. Length 2.7-3 mm. 



Starke, Koscinsko, Putnam and Posey counties; scarce. April 

 21-October 17. Sifted from vegetable debris in low moist places, 



Subfamily III. STENINAE. 



Short, rather robust, subcylindrical, black or piceous species, 

 having the head large, wider than long, with prominent eyes, thus 

 resembling those of the tiger beetles; antenna straight, inserted 

 upon the front, ll-jointed, the last thri'e .joints larger than those 

 preceding; first joint of maxillary palpi nearly as long as second, 

 the fourth obsolete; labruni entire, rounded in front; thorax con- 

 vex, usually distinctly longer than wide; elytra wider than thorax; 

 abdomen with seven segments, usually narrowing from base to apex, 

 each dorsal segment with a transverse elevated ridge at ba.se, this 

 usually with several cusps or teeth projecting backward ; tarsi five- 

 jointed, the fourth joint often l)ilol)ed beneath. The thorax and 

 elytra are deeply sculptured, and this charactei', taken in connec- 

 tion with their large eyes and blaci\ color render them, as a group, 

 very easy to separa.te. 



The Stenids occur for the most part along the muddy or sandy 

 borders of lalces, ponds and streams, where they run 'swiftly in the 

 sunshine but hide beneath bark, moss and rubbish in chnuly or cold 

 weather. .Ml are probably carnivorous, catching their prey alive 

 like mr.-t rF the Carabidu', and not feeding on carrion and excre^ 

 ment as do most other Staphylinid forms. 



The principal paper treatini;' oi' the North .\merican species 

 is b\- 



