;}^352 FAMILY fjXlV. — MELOID.E. 



Subfamily I. MELOINAE. 



Tlie members of our single genus of 

 this subfamily are known as "oil bee- 

 tles." They^are large, clumsy black or 

 bluish forms with short elytra, which do sj 

 not cover the unwieldy abdomen. They 

 have the tarsal claws cleft, the upper 

 and lower parts equal, and the antenna 

 of the males are curiously dilated near 



the middle. (Fig. 588.) Being wing- Kg. 588 AfAcsp.?l, male beetle; 2, larva; 



less, they are found on the ground or low ^^"^'' "■" "' ••• 



herbage, and are more common in late autumn or spring. When 

 disturbed they emit a disagreeable fluid from the joints. 



I. Meloe Linn. 1758. (Gr., "small animal.") 



Three of the 14. species have been taken in the State and one 

 other perhaps occurs. 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OF MELOE. 



(I. Thorax not longer than wide. 



&. Color dull black ; thorax with an impression on basal half of median 

 line. 2509. impkessus. 



6&. Color blue or bluish-black ; thorax not impressed. 



c. Thorax rather densely punctate ; elytra not roughly sculptured. 



NIGER. 



cc. Thorax coarsely and deeply, not densely, punctured ; elytra coarse- 

 ly sculptured; color more decidedly blue and more shining. 



2510. AMERICANUS. 



aa. Thorax longer than wide, sparsely and irregularly punctate ; color deep 

 bluish-black ; elytra finely rugose. 2511. angusticolus. 



2500 (8006). Meloe impresses Kirby, Faun. Bor. Amer., ISoT, 241. 



Dull black with a faint bluish tinge. Thorax about as wide as long, 

 widest at apical third, thence feebly narrowed to base ; disk coarsely and 

 sparsely punctured and with an impression just behind the middle. Elytra 

 rather densely and shallowly rugose. Length 11-14 mm. 



Vigo County; rare. May 12. 



i\I. niger Kirby, blue-black, feebly shining, length 12.5-15 mm., 

 is known from Canada. 



2510 (8013). JlELOE AMERicANVs I>each, Linn. Trans., XI, 1815, 251. 



Bluish-black; elytra more decidedly blue in male. Thorax about as 

 wide as long, but slightly narrowi>r than head; rather densely punctate on 

 apical half, much more sparsely s:) on basal portion. Length Hi-24 mm. 



Southern half of State; scarce. Aiiril 10-December 25. Noted 

 only in late autumn and early spring. On October 28 I once found 



