110 FAMILY II. CABABIM. 



Our smallest member of the genus: common throughout the 

 State. Often found in autumn on flowers of goldenrod (Soli- 

 dago). April 4-October 27. 



XXVII. Loxandrus Lee. 1852. (Gr., "oblique + male. ") 



Flattened, elongate-oblong or oval, black or piceous beetles of 

 medium or small size, possessing the characters of the tribe Pteros- 

 tichini. Differing from Pterostichus and allied genera by having 

 the front tarsi of males obliquely dilated; mandibles not striate; 

 mentum tooth emarginate. The thorax is scarcely or not at all 

 narrowed behind and has the basal impressions single, linear and 

 straight and the front transverse line distinct, very close to the 

 apical margin. The wings are; always present and there is one 

 dorsal puncture on the third interval just behind the middle. Al- 

 though they are shining and often more or less iridescent, they are 

 rarely with color markings other than the piceous or yellow shades 

 of the antenna 1 and legs, and, as a result, are very difficult of sep- 

 aration. They live beneath stones, logs and bark, especially that 

 of oak, usually in damp locations, and when uncovered run very 

 swiftly. The following are the principal papers treating of the 

 genus : 



LeConte. — "Synopsis," in Journ. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., II, 

 1852, 250. 



LeConte— "Synoptic Table," in Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, XVII. 

 375; and in Bull. Brook. En torn. Soc, III, 1880, 19. 



About twenty species are known from the United States, six of 

 which have been taken in Indiana, while another may occur. They 

 belong to that division of the family in which the side margin of 

 the thorax is not flattened toward the hind angles. 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OF LOXANDRUS. 



a. Larger, 9-13 mm. 



b. Legs, or at least the tibiae and tarsi, reddish-brown ; elytra] striae 

 punctate. 



c. Thorax one-half wider than long; length 11.5-13 mm. 



170. RECTUS. 



cc. Thorax very slightly wider than long; femora often piceous; length 

 9-10 mm. 171. minor. 



bb. Legs wholly black or piceous; elytral stria? not punctate. 

 cl. Thorax wider than long, its hind angles rectangular. 



172. BREVTCOIXIS. 



dd. Thorax longer than wide, hind angles obtuse. 173. erraticts. 

 a a. Smaller, not over 7.7 mm. 



e. Elytra uniform black or piceous; legs pale to dark reddish-brown. 



174. agtuts. 



