THE RHIPIPHORID BEETLES. 1365 



mersed in the thorax: eyes large, usually very finely granulated; 

 mandibles not emarginate at tip ; maxilln' with the upper lobe often 

 filiform; antennae ll-jointed (10-jointed in certain females) ; tho- 

 rax as wide as the elytra at base, mach narrowed in front; abdomen 

 with a variable number of free ventral searments ; front coxae large, 

 conical, without trochantins, the cavities open behind; hind coxae 

 transverse, lamellate, contiguous ; claws pectinate or toothed, rarely 

 simple. 



Only about twenty-five species of the family are known from 

 North America. These are treated in the following works: 



LrConte. — "Notes on the species of MyodUcs inhabiting the 

 United States," in Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sei., 1865, 96-98. 



Horn. — "Notes on the species of Rhipiphorus of the United 

 States," Mi Trans. Amer. Ent. See., V. 1875, 121-125. 



LrConte. — "Synoptical table of ilyodites, with descriptions," 

 in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., VIII, 1880, 210-212. 



Horn. — "Sjmoptic table of :M.yodites." in Trans. Amer. Ent. 

 Soc, XIX, 1892, 48. 



By LeC'onte and Horn the family is separated into four tribes, 

 represented by five genera. ^Members of but two genera have as yet 

 been taken in the State, though single species of each of two others 

 probably occur. 



KEY TO INDIANA (;E-\ERA OF RHIPIPHOEID.i:. 



a. Elytra ns long as the aliilomeu. not seijaratecl toward apex; eyes oval, 

 feebly emarginate. Pelecotoma. 



aa. Elytra shorter than the abdomen. 

 h. Mouth organs perfect. 



c. Scutellum covered by a lobe of the base of thorax ; elytra not much 

 shorter than abdomen; middle eoKcn almost contiguous. 



I. Rhipiphoris. 



cc. Scutellum not covered by the thorax; elytra very small: middle 



coxK widely separated. II- Myouites. 



1)6. Mouth organs atrophied ; female larviform, without elytra and wings 



(species parasitic upon the croton bug, BlntcUn gennanica L.) 



EHiProius. 



Pelecotoma Fisch. 1809. (Gr., "ax -f to cut like.") 

 The single species of this genus, P fMvipes ^Melsh., occurs in the 

 eastern United Stat&s and has been taken at Cincinnati. It is 

 black, with antenna;, palpi and legs yellowish, length 4.5 mm. 



I. Rhipiphorus Fab. 1792. (Gr., "a fan -^ bearing.") 



Rather small, wedge-shaped forms having the antennae bipecti- 

 •,-, -„„i„^. ..„„„a+o in females: elytra pointed behind and sepa- 



