THE COxMU-CLAWEl) BAKK BEETLES. 1271 



In addition to the above-mentioned characters, the members of 

 the family have the maxillary palpi 4-jointed and often long anl 

 much dilated ; head suddenly but moderately narrowed behind the 

 eyes, which are usually large, transverse and emarginate; clypeus 

 not distinct, labrum prominent, mandibles short; antennaj long, 

 more or less serrate, ll-jointed, the joints, except three or four of 

 the basal ones, studded with large circular, sparsely placed pits or 

 pores; thorax with the side margins olivious: mesosternum short, 

 the side pieces reaching the coxal cavities ; luelasternum long; elytra 

 rounded at tips; abdomen with five or six ventral segments, the 

 third and fourth of which are prolonged backwards and with their 

 hind margins leithcr-like; middle coxoe vnth distinct trochantins; 

 hind coxa' transverse, not widely separated, the intercoxal process 

 in the Indiana s>enera l)cinu narrow, acute and angulate; tarsi often 

 lobed beneath, the front and middle ones five-jointed, the hind ones 

 4-jointed. 



The name of the family is d(nnved from that of the typical genus 

 Cistela, which is a diminutive of the (freek kisle, a "little box or 

 chest," and probably refers to the form of the insects. The larvaj, 

 as far as known, somewhat resemble wire-worms in shape, live in 

 rotten wood and have no special economic importance. 



The principal literature treating of the North American forms 

 is as follows : 



Lcf'iinlc. — "Syniiplic table of the genus Ilymenorus," in New 

 Sp. N. Am. Col., I, 1866, 1.35. 



Lcf'o}ilc. — "Synoptic table of species of .Mycetochares, " in 

 Proc. Anier. Phil. Soc, XVII. 1878, 616-617. 



Casey. — "Synopsis of the Cistelidfc of the U. S.," (';( Ann. N. Y. 

 Acad. Sci., VI, 1891,69-170. 



Casey in his Synopsis recognizes 14 genera as belonging to the 

 family. Of these representati\'cs of seven have been taken in In- 

 diana, while those of another perhaps occur. 



KEY TO INDIANA GENERA OF CISTELID^. 



./. Taisi lobed beneatb. 



6. Head in repose resting against tbe prosternum and coxse, tbe foi-mer 



strongly slnnting downward in front of the coxn?. I. AiXECri.A. 



hh. Head in repusc free, the iirnsternnm longer and less slanting in front 



(jf i-dxa-; thorax ronnded at .-iiicx, its hin.d angles rcctangnhir ; body 



oblong and parallel. JI. TTymenorfs. 



(III. Tai-sl not bibed beneath. 



c. Last .joint of maxillary palpi elongate, triangular; mandibles dis- 

 tinctly notched at apex, their tips acute and subequal ; antennie 

 more or less compressed and serrate. III. Cistela. 



