24.0 



COLEOPTERA 



some forty or fifby species, found chiefly in Europe and Nortli 

 America. Wo have three in Britain ; one of these, Mycdaea 

 hirta is very common, and may be found in abundance in cellars 

 in the heart of London, as well as elsewhere ; it is said to have 

 injured the corks of wine-bottles, and to have caused leakage 

 of the wine, but we think that it perhaps only increases some 

 previous deficiency in the corkage, for its natural food is fungoid 

 matters. The larva is remarkable on account of the clubbed 

 hairs at the sides of the body. 



Fam. 41. Latridiidae. — Tarsi three-Jointed ; anterior eoxal 

 eavities round, not prolonged cxterncdly ; cdidomen vnth five visible 

 and mobile ventral segments. A^ery small Insects, species of which 

 are numerous in most parts of the world, the individuals being 

 sometimes very abundant. The larvae (Fig. 120, A) are said by 

 Penis to have the mandibles replaced by fleshy appendages. The 

 pupa of Latridi'us is remarkable, on account of the numerous long 

 hairs with heads instead of points ; the larva of Corticaria is 

 very like that of Lcctridius, but some of the hairs are replaced by 

 obconical projections. The sub-family Monotomides is by many 

 treated as a distinct family ; they have the elytra truncate behind, 

 exposing the pygidium, and the coxae are very small and very 

 deeply embedded. Most of the Latridiidae are believed to live on 

 fungoid matters ; species of Monotoma 

 live in ants' nests, but probably have 

 no relations with the ants. A few 

 species of Latridiides proper also main- 

 tain a similar life; Coluoccra formicaria 

 is said to be fond of the stores laid up 

 by Aphaenogaster structor in its nests. 

 About 700 species are now known; 

 scarcely any of the individuals are more 

 than one-tenth of an inch long. We 

 have about 40 species in Britain. The 

 Xorth American genus Stepliostetlius has 

 the presternum constructed behind the coxae, somewhat in the 

 same manner as it is in the Ehynchophorous series of Colecptera. 



Fam. 42. Adimeridae. — Tarsi ccppeuring only tico-jointed, 

 (c broael based joint and an elonga.te clctw -bearing joint, but between 

 tlie two there etre two very small joints. This family consists 

 only of the American genus Adimerus ; nothing is known of 



Fig. 120. — LatriJins minutus. 

 Britain. A, Larv.i (after 

 Penis) ; B, perfect Insect. 



