140 



FAMILY IT. CABABIDJE. 



XXXVIII. Galebita Fab. 1801. (L., "a helmet.") 



Pubescent beetles of medium size and graceful form, having the 

 head and elytra black or bluish-black, the thorax cordiform, red- 

 dish-brown. Head elongate-oval, strongly constricted behind ; neck 

 slender; first joint of antennre elongate. Elytra oval, broadly 

 obliquely truncate behind, finely striate. They occur beneath 

 cover, along fence rows and in open woodlands and are often at- 

 tracted in great numbers by electric lights. Dr. Forbes dissected 

 17 specimens of G. janus and found that 88 per cent of their food 

 consisted of cankerworms and other injurious forms, the canker- 

 worms alone making up 52 per cent. A synoptic table of the genus 

 is given by 



Leconte— Bull. Brook. Ent. Soc, II, 1879, 61. 

 Five species of the genus are known from the United States, 

 two of which occur in Indiana. 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OF GALERITA. 



a. Plead behind the eyes strongly rounded; pubescence of elytra uniform, 

 obliquely decumbent. 242. janus. 



aa. Sides of head longer behind, oblique and less rounded; pubescence of 

 elytra erect near the scutellum. 243. bicoloe. 



242 (851). Galebita janus Fab., Syst Eleut, I, 1801, 36; Say, II, 446. 



Elongate-oval. Black, densely clothed with short hairs ; legs, palpi, 

 thorax and base of antennas reddish-brown. Thorax slightly longer thau 

 wide, the margin reflexed at hind angles, which are rectangular. Elytral 

 stria? fine, not punctured ; intervals flat, finely, transversely rugose. Length 

 17-22 mm. 



Southern half of State ; frequent. April 21-August 14. 



*243 (853). Galerita bicoloe Drury, Ins., I, 1770, 94. 



Very similar to the preceding. Distinguished by the char- 

 acters given in key and by its usually smaller size and 

 \ smoother elytra. The latter are more often blue-black than 

 black. Length 17-21 mm. (Fig. 82.) 



C\ Throughout the State; common. January 1-Octo- 

 ber 12. A pair were found mating on May 23. 



Zuphhim am.ericanum Dej. has been taken by Dury 

 near Cincinnati. It is a small, slender brown form, 

 living under flat stones and runs very rapidly when 

 (Original.) * uncovered. 



