THE SH1X1X(_! FLOWER BEETLES. 497 



of elytra, st-arcely punctate. Elytra distinctly but sparsely punctate, the 

 punctures finest toward the base ; sutural stria deep, a little curved. Length 

 l.S mm. 



Southern half of State : frequent. 'May 1-September 20. 

 Scaphiomicnis flavescens Casey, pale brownish-yellow, length 

 .9 mm., was described from ]\Iiehigan. 



Family XIY. PIIALACRID.E. 

 The SrnxixG Flower Beetles. 



To this family belong a sjiiall number of oval or roimded-oval, 

 convex, shining beetles, having the body very compact ; antennse in- 

 serted under or at the sides of a slight frontal margin. 11-jointed. 

 the last three joints forming an oval club ; thorax with 

 the side pieces not distinct; pn sternum prolonged, en- 

 tering the emarginate mesosternum behind, the ooxal 

 cavities open; metasternum large, produced in front; 

 scutellum large, triangular ; eh-tra rounded at tip and 

 entirely covering the abdomen, which has five free 

 ventral segments. (Fig. 178. i The front coxa? are 

 rather small and globular: middle coxa? transverse. 

 separated by the sternum ; hind coxae contiguous, ^j^g; ^'^ j 

 transverse and flat; tai*si 5- jointed, the fourth joint gg^")'^' '■■'''*" 

 usually small and obscure. 



From the Scaphidiida; the members of this family may be InioNvn 

 by their broadly rounded instead of truncate elytra and by the 

 smaller and less prominent front coxa. They are less than 3 mm. 

 in lejigth and live principallj^ on flowers, the laiwa' living in the 

 heads of flowers, especially those of OompositsE. The adults may 

 be taken in summer by beating or in autumn and spring by sifting. 

 Some species, however, occur only beneath bark. The name of the 

 family is based upon that of the oldest genus. Plwlacrus, a word 

 meaning bald-headed and suggested probably by the rounded shin- 

 ing aspect of these beetles. 



The principal literature relating tn the family is as follows: 



LiConie. — "Synapsis of the PhalacrichT of the Ignited States." 

 //( Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sei., YIII. 1S:)6. 15-17. 



Caxei/. — '"Synopsis of Phalacrid*. " in Ann. X. T. Acad. Sei.. 

 V, ISOn. 89-144. 



About 300 specie.s of the family are known, 47 of which, dis- 

 tributed among ten genera, being listed from the TTnited States. 



