EROTVLIDAE MYCETOPHAGIDAE COCCINELLIDAE 237 



in forests. We have only six species in Britain, and tiie wliole 

 of Europe has only about two dozen, most of them insignificant 

 (and in the case of the Dacnides aberrant, approaching the 

 Cryptophagidae very closely). The sub-family Languriides (quite 

 wanting in Europe) consists of more elongate Insects, with front 

 acetabula open behind ; tliey have different habits from Eroty- 

 lides proper ; some are known to live as larvae in the stems of 

 lierbaceous plants. They possess a highly developed stridulating 

 organ on the front of the head. The Clavicorn Polymorpha are 

 very closely connected w-ith the Phytophaga by Languriides. 



Fam. 37. Mycetophagidae.— ^Vw-si four-jointed, slender, the 

 front feet of the mcde only three-jointed; coxae ovcd, not deeply 

 enbcdcled ; abdomen with five 'centred seg- 

 ments, cdl movable. A small family, of in- 

 terest chiefly because of the anomaly in the 

 feet of the two sexes, for which it is im- 

 possible to assign any reason. The species 

 are small, uninteresting Insects that live 

 chiefly on Cryptogams of various kinds, 

 especially in connection with timber ; the 

 larvae being also found there. There are 

 about a dozen species in Britain, and 

 scarcely 100 are described from all the 

 world. The Diphyllides, placed by Leconte 

 and Horn in this family, seem to go better in Cryptophagidae. 



Fam. 38. Coccinellidae (Lady-birds). — Tarsi cqjj^arently three- 

 jointed ; the first ttvo joints ifubeseent beneath ; the third joint 

 consisting recdly of two joints, the smcdl true third joint being 

 inserted near the base of the second joint, the upper surface of which 

 is grooved to receive it. Head much concecded by the thorax. 

 Antennae feebly clubbed. The lady-birds number fully 2000 

 species. The structure of their feet distinguishes them from 

 nearly all other Coleoptera except Endomychidae, which are much 

 less rotund in form, and ha\'e larger antennae. One genus of 

 Endomychids — Fanomoea — bears, however, a singular resemblance 

 to lady-birds, both in form and style of coloration. Several 

 species of Coccinellidae are reniarkaljle on account of the 

 numerous variations in colour they present. Coccinellidae 

 frequently multiply to an enormous extent, and are of great 

 value, as they destroy wholesale the plant-lice, scale- Insects, 



A'W 



Fig. nS, — Litargus hifus- 

 ciatus. Mycetophagidae. 

 Britain. A, Larva (alttr 

 Perris) ; B, perfect lusect. 



