THE DARKLIXr; BEETLES. 124o 



ee. Middle coxfe vei-y prominent; thorax narrower at base than elytra. 



its sides rounded and without a sharp edge; nest to last tarsal 



joint broad, slightly bilobed; body covering rather flimsy in tex- 



Vt-'.: FiuQily LX. CEdemeriDxE, p, 1004. 



'/'/. Head strongly and suddenly constricted behind the eyes. 



g. Thorax with a sharp edge at sides, its base as wide as elytra. 

 /(. AutennsE filiform. 



/. Hind coxfe with plates; head with vertex lobed or ridged be- 

 hind, sii that in extension it reposes on the front edge of the 

 thorax ; abdomen usually prolonged in a style or pointed 

 ' r cfc'f!. Family LXI. JIobdellid.^s, p. loUS. 



//. Hind coxte without plates ; characters otherwise as in Melan- 

 dryidse; length less than 5.5 mm. 



Tribe (LVIII). Scidptiiiii. p. ll'li'.i. 

 hh. Antennte flabellate (male), subserrate (female) ; characters 

 otherwise as in Rhipiphoridie. 



(leuus (LX^'i. Pclri.otoiiiii. p. 13(I."i. 

 Of/. Sides of tliorax more or less rounded and without a sharp edge. 

 ;. Thorax at liase nairuw ur than elytra. 

 k: Hind coxoe not prominent; tarsal claws simple; antennae fili- 

 form and simple ; head with an abrupt narrow neck ; length 

 less than 12 mm., usually less than 5 mm. 



Family LXII. Anthicid^, p. 1326. 

 /,7,-. Hind coxae large, prominent. 



I. Tarsal claws simjile ; head horizontal; antennse usually 



branched iu male, serrate In female; next to last tarsal 

 joints very I.irnad. 



Familj- LXIII. Pyrocheoid.e. p. i;34G. 



II. Tarsal claws cleft or toothed; front vertical; elytra and 



sides (if alidomen without coadaptation ; length 6 or 



i!" re iinii Family LXIV. Meloid.e, p. 1350. 



jj. Thorax at base as wide as elytra ; form as in Mordellidffi, the 



al)dcimeu not cuding in a spimius prcjiess: elytra usually shorter 



than aljdiimen and narrowed behind; antennte pectinate in the 



males, frefpieutly serrate in the females. 



F.iiiiily r.X\'. UiiiPiPiiOKiD.E, p. i'-'.ij-i. 



Family \jV. TENEBRIOXID.E. 



The Darklinc Beetles. 



A large family whose species vary greatly in size and form of 

 body. In color tliey are mostly black or dark brown, whence the 

 name of the tyi)ii-al genus, Tciuhrio. which is derived from a Latin 

 word meaning "dai-kness." The larger forms have a peculiar loose- 

 jointed appearance and long, lather clumsy and awkward legs. The 



