REVISION OP' TENEBRIONID SUBFAMILY CONIONTIN^E 



case of certain far-distant exotics of the Praocini mentioned by 

 Lacordaire as being a case in point, there might be ground for 

 believing that these two groups of genera should not be tribally 

 separated, but there is no evidence whatever of such inter- 

 mediates and the proper course would therefore appear to be 

 the tribal separation here suggested. It is of course possible to 

 surmise that this very great reduction of the antennae in Ccelus, 

 and especially Coelomorpha^ may be due simply to their bur- 

 rowing habits, but that this is not wholly true is proved by the 

 fact that in Ccelotaxis, which, as shown by the lateral fimbriae 

 and by the more extended inner angles of the basal anterior 

 tarsal joint, has at least some burrowing propensity, there is no 

 tendency whatever to a shortening of the antennae, they being 

 even longer and more slender than in the prevailing type of 

 Coniontis. At the same time, there is undoubtedly an unusu- 

 ally strong bond of affinity between the Coniontini and Coelini 

 in the modification of the basal anterior tarsal joint, proving 

 beyond question a common origin, but the elimination of all 

 intermediates in antennal structure decisively isolates the Coelini 

 at the present epoch of their history, and this is the only point 

 to consider in delimiting genera, tribes and other higher groups. 

 There are two genera of Coelini as follows : 



Body briefly oblong-oval, very convex, ciliate at the sides, the basal 

 angles of the prothorax obtuse but not much rounded ; antennae 1 1- 

 jointed, the basal joint very long, arcuate, two-thirds as long as 

 the remainder; submentum well developed; eyes transversely 

 reniform, emarginate anteriorly ; process of the basal anterior 

 tarsal joint very long and stout. [Type C. ciliatus Esch.] . 



Coelus 



Body nearly similar in form but much smaller, similarly ciliate at the 

 sides, the basal angles of the prothorax well rounded ; antennaB 

 jo-jointed, the basal joint much smaller, barely a third as long as 

 the remainder ; submentum not distinct ; eyes less transverse, not 

 emarginate anteriorly ; process of the anterior tarsus much smaller. 

 [ Type Ccelomorpha maritima Csy.] , Ccelomorpha 



The members of these genera are very abundant individually, 

 and are only found on or near the ocean beaches burrowing 

 into loose sand. 



